Armed Forces recruitment exceeds departures for fourth consecutive quarter, MoD says

More people joined the Regular Armed Forces than left for the fourth consecutive quarter, marking the longest sustained period of positive recruitment and retention since 2021, Ministry of Defence (MoD) figures revealed.

Regular strength increased across all three services over the past year, with the Royal Navy and Royal Marines gaining 440 personnel, the Army 170 and the RAF 840.

Overall, intake has increased while the number of personnel leaving has declined since late 2023, resulting in a net gain of 1,460 personnel in the year to 30th June 2026.

The number of full-time military personnel available to support defence operations also increased by 1,450 since 1 July 2025.

Fully trained personnel available for operations rose for the third consecutive quarter, following the first increase in trade-trained strength since late 2021 at the beginning of this year.

The Government said the improvement followed a series of recruitment and retention measures introduced since 2024, including pay increases, investment in military accommodation and changes to recruitment policies.

Service personnel have received a cumulative 14.1% pay rise since July 2024, while the Government has committed more than £7bn to military housing during this Parliament.

More than 100 recruitment policies have also been removed, including restrictions affecting some applicants with conditions such as hay fever, eczema and acne or fully healed injuries.