Police service strength

This page is a short summary of the full PDF report Police Service Strength.

Data from the Home Office, Scottish Government, and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) shows us how large the police workforce is. It also indicates how diverse forces are, including breakdowns by sex and ethnicity.

This briefing breaks down data by police force area where possible and includes international comparisons where available.

United Kingdom

The number of police officers in the United Kingdom increased each year between 2003, when there were just under 155,400 officers, and 2010, when there were 171,600.

Following this peak, the number of police officers fell each year up until 2018 but then rose until 2023. Numbers have since fallen and as of 31 March 2026, there were 168,673 police officers operating in the United Kingdom. This was an increase of 13% from the number of police officers operating in 2018, but a 1.2% fall from 2023.

These figures are given on a full-time equivalent (FTE) basis rather than headcounts and excludes Police Community Support Officers and Special Constables.