Military personnel are more satisfied with their Service life, pay and SFA than last year, results of the 2026 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) show.
But the impact of that life on their families or their own personal lives remains the top reason for leaving.
More than 32,000 Army, Royal Navy, Royal Marines and RAF personnel were sent questionnaires and just over 7,600 responded, including 891 Army officers and 2,813 soldiers.
Satisfaction with Service life in general was up three per cent on last year at 45 per cent, but still lower than 2021 when it was 50 per cent. Army personnel – 47 per cent – were more satisfied than the other branches.
The same percentage of Army respondents were also more satisfied with the welfare support provided for their families.
There was a three per cent improvement in satisfaction with the rate of basic pay. But the latest 37 per cent figure is still significantly lower than the 52 per cent reported in 2010.
Satisfaction with SFA maintenance requests, which was just 19 per cent in 2023, rose to 39 per cent. Although it was still significantly lower than 2014 when it was 46 per cent.
Job security was the biggest reason for 81 per cent intending to stay in the Forces. That was followed by dental provision at 73 per cent and healthcare at 71 per cent. The pension was another incentive cited by 65 per cent of respondents.
But the top reason given for leaving the military was impact of Service life on family or personal life. The figure was 60 per cent for all branches and 54 per cent for Army personnel. A spouse or partner’s career (46 per cent), pay (40 per cent) and childcare (38 per cent) were also high in the list.
One in 10 personnel said they had suffered bullying, harassment or discrimination in a Service environment in the past year. Twice as many female as male personnel said they had experienced it.
Two per cent of all those who took part in the survey said they had suffered sexual harassment in the past 12 months. But broken down, the figure for female personnel was 10 per cent against less than one per cent for males.
You can read the full report for more detail on satisfaction with service life.
PUBLISHED ON 5 JUNE 2026