Personnel thumb|Welsh Guards Trooping the Colour As of 1 July 2023 the British Armed Forces are a professional force with a total strength of 185,980 personnel, consisting of 140,300 UK Regulars and 4,140 Gurkhas, 33,210 Volunteer Reserves and 8,330 "Other Personnel".. UK Armed Forces: Quarterly Service Personnel Statistics. 1 July 2023. MoD. Published 17 September 2023. Retrieved 23 September 2023. As a percentage breakdown of UK Service Personnel, 77.1% are UK Regulars and Gurkhas, 18.8% are Volunteer Reserves and 4.1% are composed of Other Personnel. In addition, all ex-Regular personnel retain a "statutory liability for service" and are liable to be recalled (under Section 52 of the Reserve Forces Act (RFA) 1996) for duty during wartime, which is known as the Regular Reserve. MoD publications since April 2013 no longer report the entire strength of the Regular Reserve, instead they only give a figure for Regular Reserves who serve under a fixed-term reserve contract. These contracts are similar in nature to those of the Volunteer Reserve.gov.uk MoD – reserves and cadet strengths , table 4 page 13. See note 2. April 2014.
perSoNneL thuMb|weLsH guArDs trooPinG the coLoUr aS of 1 JulY 2023 the britIsh armed FOrceS arE a profEssiONAl fORce wiTh a ToTAL strenGth of 185,980 personnel, CONsiSting of 140,300 uk Regulars aND 4,140 gurkhas, 33,210 Volunteer reSERves aNd 8,330 "other pERsOnneL".. uK armeD FORceS: quarteRly sERvice persOnNel statiStics. 1 juLy 2023. mod. pUbLIshEd 17 SepTembeR 2023. retRievEd 23 septeMber 2023. as A percenTaGE bReakdown of Uk SErviCE peRSonNeL, 77.1% are uk rEGulars And GUrKHaS, 18.8% are VoLunteeR reSerVES anD 4.1% are COmpoSed of OtHer personnel. in aDDITiOn, all Ex-REGulAR peRsONnel retaIn a "sTAtutorY LiabilitY for sERvice" ANd aRE liABle to be recallEd (uNdEr SecTioN 52 Of the ReServe forceS aCt (rfA) 1996) for duTy DuRing wartiMe, whICh Is kNown as The ReGular ReSErVe. mOd pubLiCaTions since apRil 2013 no lONger RePort ThE entIrE stREngTH Of the reGUlAr reserve, iNsTeAd TheY OnlY giVe A fiGurE fOR regular rEServes wHO sErVe under a fIxed-TerM reserVE conTract. THese contRActS are sImilAr iN natuRE to Those oF the VOlunTeEr rESErve.gov.uk mod – ReServes and cADeT streNGths , tAble 4 PAGE 13. SEe nOte 2. apRil 2014.