UK armed forces veteran population from Census 2021 data, includes population age, where people were born, religion, ethnic group, legal partnership status and general health.
Main points
- Of the total (just over 1.85 million) UK armed forces veteran population in England and Wales, 13.6% (235,430) were women (13.8% in Wales and 13.5% in England) and 86.4% (1,601,705) were men (86.2% in Wales and 86.5% in England).
- Almost one third (31.8% or 589,640) of veterans were aged 80 years and over, reflecting National Service policy (1939 to 1960) inclusive of War Service (to 1948).
- Most UK armed forces veterans living in England and Wales were born in the UK (94.2% or 1,744,985), 2.1% were born in other Commonwealth nations (39,420) and the proportions born in Nepal and Ireland were similar (0.6% and 0.5% or 10,240 and 9,480 respectively).
- Those who had previously served in the UK armed forces were more likely to identify their ethnicity within the high-level “White” category (96.4% or 1,785,640) than non-veterans (83.1% or 38,827,845); differences remained even after accounting for the older age distribution of veterans.
- Those who had only served in the reserve forces were younger and more likely to be women than the rest of the veteran population, 64.1% were aged under 65 years and 24.6% were women, this may reflect the relative ease with which volunteer reserves are able to leave service and historical roles of women serving in the UK armed forces.
Commenting on today’s release, Rich Pereira, Head of Demography at ONS, said:
“Census 2021 was the first time we have collected census data on people who have previously served in the UK armed forces. Following on from the results we published in November, today’s data gives a greater understanding of our veteran armed forces community. We can see that almost a third of the community is over 80 and 86.4% of the community are men. Many of this group will be those who took part in National Service and /or served in World War Two. Our data also explores how veterans compare to those who are not veterans with regard to health, religion and ethnicity. Today’s insight is crucial for the planning of support and services for veterans and their families.”
Go to our release
Help keep news FREE for our readers
Supporting your local community newspaper/online news outlet is crucial now more than ever. If you believe in independent journalism, then consider making a valuable contribution by making a one-time or monthly donation. We operate in rural areas where providing unbiased news can be challenging. Read More About Supporting The West Wales Chronicle
