Britain Has Its Smallest Army Since the Napoleonic Era, Yet Rejects More Than 200 Applicants a Day

Army rejects 200 recruits daily as ranks shrink to Napoleonic-era lows (Credit: Corporal Andy Reddy RLC/WikiMedia Commons)

The British Army rejected more than 200 potential recruits every day last year, even as its ranks remain well below their target strength and at historically low levels.

Nearly 74,000 applications to join the Army were rejected in the 2024-25 financial year. That was an increase of about 20,000 on the previous year as the Army continued to struggle with recruitment.