The proportion of civil servants declaring that they have a disability has reached a record high, matching representation in the economically active working-age population for the first time.
The increase in self-declared disability is revealed in the 2025 Civil Service Statistics release, published today, which shows that 17.9% of officials have declared a disability, up from 16.9% in 2024, and 8.9% in 2015.
Since 2015, there have been year-on-year increases in the percentage of civil servants who declare themselves as disabled.
The latest uptick means the proportion of people describing themselves as disabled in the civil service is the same as in the economically active working age population in the UK for the first time since the statistical bulletin started comparing the figures in 2015.
The largest increase has been at HEO/SEO level, up to 16.7% in 2025 from 15.5% in 2024.
The proportion of civil servants from an ethnic-minority background has also once again hit a record high, but remains below the proportion in the economically active working age population.
Of those with a known ethnicity, 18% are from an ethnic-minority background, up from 16.6% in 2024 – and 10.6% in 2015. This compares with 18.6% in the economically active working age population.
The proportion of civil servants from an ethnic-minority background increased across all grades below the senior civil service. The largest increase has been at EO level: up to 21.8% in 2025 from 19.6% in 2024.
Civil servants from an ethnic-minority background are less represented at senior grades. The SCS has the lowest representation rate at 10.5%, which is slightly down from 10.6% in 2024 and up from 6.6% in 2015.
For sexual orientation, the proportion of civil servants identifying as being lesbian, gay, bisexual or "other" has increased once again. Of those with a known sexual orientation, 7.2% of civil servants identify as LGBO. This has increased every year since data on sexual orientation has been captured in these statistics, and is up from 6.9% in 2024 and 3.7% in 2015.
LGBO representation increased at all grades in the last year. The grades with the highest percentage of LGBO civil servants are HEO/SEO and G6/7 (both 7.4%).
Declaration rates for sexual orientation have nearly doubled in the last decade, from 38.1% in 2015 (when it was first collected) to 74.1% in 2025.
There remain more women (300,345) than men (249,285) in the civil service; although men outnumber women at SCS level. However, the percentage of women in senior grades is on the rise, and in 2025 49.2% of senior civil servants are women compared, to 48.2% in 2024 and 38.9% in 2015.
Women have overtaken men at G6/G7 grade, with 50.2% women in 2025, compared to 49.8% in 2024 and 43.8% in 2015.
The median age of civil servants is 44, unchanged from 2024 and down from 47 in 2015.
Meanwhile, the proportion of civil servants declaring they have no religion or belief has risen again. Some 179,565 chose this option, making up 44.6% of those who declared a religion or belief, compared to 43.4% in 2024.
This means it retains its place as the most popular choice in the religion and belief category, after overtaking Christianity last year.
Christianity remains the most popular reported religion or belief, selected by 41.8% of those who declared one, down from 42.7% in 2024. The second most commonly reported is Islam at 6.1%, up from 5.6% in 2025.
There was also an increase in the proportion of civil servants who declared their religion or belief (including those who said they have none) to 73.3%, up from 71.7% in 2024.
Where the civil servants are
The government recently committed to reduce the numbers of civil servants in London. The statistics show one in five civil servants are still based in London (19.6%), down ever so slightly from 19.7% in 2024, and more significantly less than the 21.2% who were in 2021.
The regions with the largest number of civil servants are: London (107,105), the North West of England (72,800), and Scotland (56,675). Excluding Northern Ireland and Overseas, East England has the fewest civil servants (23,210).
While the overall proportion of London-based civil servants has decreased slightly, it increased its numbers by 0.5%. Civil service employment increased in all regions apart from overseas and East England between 2024 and 2025. The staffing number of East England-based officials has remained at the same level, while overseas numbers dropped by 2%.
The regions with the largest percentage increases in headcount are the East Midlands and Northern Ireland (both +3.1%), North West and Scotland (both +2.7%), West Midlands (+2.4%) and Wales (+2.3%).
The regions that have seen the largest increase in headcount are the North West (+1,900), Scotland (+1,470), Wales (+915) and West Midlands (+905).
There remains a significant grade divide between London and the rest of the country.
Outside London, 28.5% of civil servants are in AA/AO grades, compared to 10.8% within the capital. The percentage of those in G6/G7 and SCS-level grades outside London is 13.5%, compared to 34.7% within the city.
Some professions are predominantly London-based, such as the actuarial profession, where almost nine in ten are in the capital, along with economics (63.5%), and policy (54.1%).
There are some signs of these professions becoming less London-orientated, however. The policy profession, for example, was 60.2% London-based in 2024, and economics was at 68.4%.