Civometry

Police officers (full-time equivalent, excluding long-term absence): record highs and lows

The extremes of police officers (full-time equivalent, excluding long-term absence) as published by Home Office, across the 31 periods held here (Year ending March 1996 to Year ending March 2026). Each record is a published figure, not a computed one, and the scope is this series — not “ever”.

Highest published

144,557Year ending March 2024

Lowest published

119,068Year ending March 2018

The full series

Police officers (full-time equivalent, excluding long-term absence): Year ending March 1996 to Year ending March 2026ConservativeLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourLabourCoalitionCoalitionConservativeConservativeConservativeLabour050k100k200020102020Year ending March 1996: 124,844 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 1997: 125,051 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 1998: 124,756 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 1999: 123,841 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2000: 121,956 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2001: 123,476 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2002: 127,267 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2003: 131,426 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2004: 137,105 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2005: 139,491 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2006: 139,631 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2007: 139,063 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2008: 138,585 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2009: 140,630 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2010: 140,661 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2011: 136,051 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2012: 130,826 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2013: 126,278 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2014: 124,685 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2015: 123,832 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2016: 120,664 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2017: 119,700 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2018: 119,068 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2019: 120,070 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2020: 126,031 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2021: 132,431 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2022: 137,260 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2023: 144,296 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2024: 144,557 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2025: 143,079 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026Year ending March 2026: 142,273 officers (FTE) · published 22 July 2026
Published valueProvisional or revisedLatestShaded bands: governments (see labels)Hover, tap or use arrow keys to read a value; tap again to unpin
The chart as a table
PeriodPolice officers (full-time equivalent, excluding long-term absence)
Year ending March 1996124,844 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 1997125,051 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 1998124,756 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 1999123,841 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2000121,956 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2001123,476 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2002127,267 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2003131,426 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2004137,105 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2005139,491 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2006139,631 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2007139,063 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2008138,585 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2009140,630 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2010140,661 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2011136,051 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2012130,826 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2013126,278 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2014124,685 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2015123,832 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2016120,664 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2017119,700 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2018119,068 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2019120,070 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2020126,031 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2021132,431 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2022137,260 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2023144,296 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2024144,557 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2025143,079 officers (FTE)
Year ending March 2026142,273 officers (FTE)

What a record here is, and is not

A record is the extreme of the periods this site holds for the current series, at each period’s newest published release. Earlier series measured under different methods are not compared against it. Money is in cash terms: a record set years ago stands against the money of its own year.