The British Army rejected more than 200 applicants a day in 2024-25, even though it has missed its annual recruitment targets every year since 2010. Almost 74,000 people were turned away, a rise of 20,000 on the previous year, at a time when the army's full-time trained strength has fallen to around 75,000 — its smallest since the Napoleonic era. The shortfall is drawing renewed political criticism as tensions with Russia grow, with warnings that the UK could face hybrid attacks and calls for ministers to fund higher troop numbers.

Of those rejected, over 32,000 failed on medical grounds, including conditions such as psoriasis, diabetes and serious food allergies, while 360 were turned down for tattoos or piercings and around 22,000 Commonwealth applicants were refused under a cap limiting foreign recruits to 1,350 a year. The army needs roughly 11,000 recruits annually just to replace departing troops, but missed its 2023-24 target of 10,450 by nearly 4,000. The government's strategic defence review recommended growing personnel to 76,000 once funding allows, but shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge accused Labour of delaying this, while Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the UK would not be intimidated by Russian rhetoric.