Police Workforce
Statistics 2025
How many officers are serving, who is leaving, who is joining, and what the numbers mean for experience, retention and operational strength.
Trust Notice: Independent analysis of publicly available Home Office statistics.
Not affiliated with the Home Office or any police force. | Last Updated: 12 February 2026
Key Figures At A Glance
Official metrics for the police workforce in England and Wales as of 2025.
Total Officers
149,500
Total police headcount has recovered from post-2010 lows following the national recruitment uplift.
Resignations
8,795
Voluntary resignations now account for 53.1% of all leavers, reaching record levels in the year ending March 2025.
Experience
0–5 Years
Approximately one-third of the workforce is in their first five years of service, creating an experience deficit.
Representation
35.5%+
Female representation is at an all-time high, though ethnic minority leadership representation continues to lag.
Since 2010
+5,000
National officer headcount is now slightly higher than 2010 peak levels, though structural composition has shifted younger.
Limited Duties
Rising
The proportion of officers on limited or restricted duties has increased as the workforce manages rising mental health demand.
Exit Trend
Churn High
Net growth is stalled in many forces as high recruitment volumes are offset by record levels of voluntary resignation.
Ratio
Population
While officer numbers have risen, the officer-to-population ratio remains distinct due to significant UK population growth since 2010.
What This Hub Covers
Headcount trends and total officer numbers across England and Wales.
Joiners and recruitment flow including PCDA and DHEP routes.
Voluntary resignations and deep-dives into retention risk factors.
Experience distribution and the impact of the 'uplift bulge' on supervision.
Demographics including age, gender, and ethnic representation trends.
Workforce health metrics including sickness and limited duties analysis.
Independent Analytical Voice
Featured Analysis
Police Workforce 2025 Explained
Full breakdown of the national police workforce publication. Headcount, leavers, and joiners.
Racism & Workforce Risk
Data-driven structural analysis of racism, retention impact, and workforce sustainability.
Economic Impact & Investment
Structural Risk & Retention
Retention risk in modern policing is not only about numbers—it is about experience depth, supervisory maturity, and deployable strength.
Workforce Authority Library
Deep-dives into the most requested workforce metrics and structural questions.
How Many Officers in the UK?
A comprehensive census of officer numbers across all territorial and specialist forces in the United Kingdom.
Officer to Population Ratio
Analysis of 'policing density' — how officer volumes compare to regional and national population growth.
The < 5 Year Service Gap
Why the volume of officers with less than 5 years' service is the primary driver of frontline pressure.
Police Supervision Ratios
Analyzing 'span of control' — how many constables are being managed by each frontline sergeant.
Police Leavers: Where Do They Go?
Tracking exit destinations and why officers are choosing to leave the service mid-career.
How Many Officers Are Leaving Due to Pay?
Official analysis of voluntary resignation rates, quantifying "pay pressure" vs other exit reasons.
Workforce FAQ
How many police officers are there in England and Wales?
Are police numbers increasing or decreasing?
What is the police resignation rate?
Is the police workforce becoming more diverse?
How experienced is the current workforce?
What percentage of officers are new recruits?
Methodology & Transparency
All data analyzed in this hub is sourced from the official Home Office Police Workforce Statistics publications (year ending March 2025). We provide independent interpretation of these datasets without altering the raw figures. All longitudinal trend commentary is based on published historical Home Office records from 2010 to present.