By Roda Ogunpehin | Founder at RQ Consult
As an ex-Civil Servant in senior leadership and someone deeply committed to inclusion, I was interested to see the latest Civil Service Statistics for 2025. The data shows welcome progress on disability representation, but it also reminds us how important it is to keep momentum.
▪️ In 2025, 17.9% of civil servants declared a disability. That is up from 16.9% in 2024 and 8.9% in 2015.
▪️ This now matches the proportion of disabled people in the wider UK working population.
▪️ Representation is improving across grades too. At HEO (higher executive officer) and SEO (senior executive officer) level it has risen to 16.7%, compared to 15.5% in 2024 and 8.4% in 2015.
𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬
It is encouraging to see these numbers improve. But inclusion is not just about representation. It is about whether colleagues with disabilities have equal access to opportunities, progression and genuine belonging at every level.
Having held senior leadership roles, I know the value of pairing data with real action. It takes leaders who listen, adapt and create environments where people feel safe to disclose and supported to thrive.
The report publishes analysis of entrants and leavers by gender, which is useful, but I could not find the same clear data for disability, ethnicity and other protected characteristics. Understanding who is joining, staying and leaving across these categories helps identify where barriers still exist and where inclusion efforts need to go further. UK Civil Service
𝐑𝐞𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫𝐬
These figures are a reminder for every organisation:
1. Do your data and lived experiences tell the same story?
2. Are disabled employees progressing into senior roles?
3. Is disclosure encouraged and supported, not feared?
4. Are you tracking who joins and leaves your organisation by more than just gender?
We have made progress, but there is still work ahead. Let us keep striving for #InclusionThatWorks 🌍
Read more here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2025/statistical-bulletin-civil-service-statistics-2025#entrants-and-leavers
#Disability
#CivilService
#KnowYourData
Image: Infographic image in navy blue and teal colours on a white solid plain background. Titled: Representation of Disability in the Civil Service 2025. Bar charts showing progress from 8.9% in 2015 to 17.9% in 2025. RQ Consult logo at bottom right corner.