The number of people employed by the UK Civil Service has reached its highest point in nearly two decades, according to the latest official statistics. The workforce now stands at an estimated 554,000, a significant increase driven by the demands of Brexit and the Covid-19 pandemic.
A Steady Climb to a 20-Year Peak
Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows that the Civil Service headcount grew by 3,000 between June and September 2025, reaching 554,000 full-time and part-time staff. This represents a year-on-year rise of 1.1% from September 2024.
The current figure is the highest recorded since March 2006, when the total stood at 555,000. The workforce had been on a consistent downward trajectory through the late 2000s and early 2010s, hitting a low of 416,000 in June 2016—the very month of the EU referendum.
Since that pivotal vote, the headcount has swelled by 138,000, marking a dramatic increase of 33.2% over nine years.
The Brexit and Pandemic Effect on Staffing
The reversal of the long-term decline in Civil Service numbers can be directly attributed to two major national events. In the years immediately following the Brexit referendum, the government recruited approximately 40,000 additional staff to manage the complex and lengthy process of leaving the European Union.
This expansion accelerated with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Between March 2020 and March 2022, the Civil Service grew by a further 56,000 employees to oversee massive state interventions. These included the furlough scheme, nationwide testing programmes, and the historic rollout of Covid-19 vaccines.
The growth has continued under the current Labour administration. Since June 2024, just before the general election, the workforce has increased by 8,000, from 546,000 to the present 554,000.
Departmental Breakdown and Future Reforms
The distribution of Civil Service staff is heavily concentrated in a few key departments. Just two—the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Ministry of Justice (MoJ)—account for more than a third of all employees.
- Department for Work & Pensions: 97,250 staff (17.5% of the total)
- Ministry of Justice: 96,715 staff (17.4% of the total)
- HM Revenue & Customs: 72,885 staff (13.1%)
- Ministry of Defence: 56,870 staff (10.3%)
- Home Office: 50,810 staff (9.2%)
Together, these five departments employ just over two-thirds of the entire Civil Service. Of the total 554,000 personnel, almost 446,000 are in full-time roles, with the remainder working part-time.
Despite the recent growth, the government has signalled an intention to curb costs and reshape the workforce. Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced in her spring statement that Civil Service running costs would be cut by 15% by the end of the decade.
Plans include abolishing certain public bodies, like NHS England, and a strategic shift towards more digital and data-focused roles. In April, the government outlined plans to cut around 2,100 staff from the Cabinet Office, with 1,200 roles made redundant and 900 transferred elsewhere, aiming to create a Civil Service "fit for the future."
