Soldiers are quitting the Armed Forces at an alarming rate, despite a pay rise over the summer.
For the first time on record, there are now just two servicemen or women per thousand people in Britain.
Some 15,119 left the Armed Forces in the year to October. Of these, 7,778 were counted as “voluntary outflow”, those choosing to leave of their own accord.
The forces recruited just over 12,000 personnel in the same period, resulting in a net shrinkage of the military.
Soldiers are leaving despite the Government’s attempt to stem the recruitment crisis with a 6 per cent pay rise.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the increase, the largest for the forces in 22 years, in July – as well as retention payments – in a bid to hold on to talent.
Yet the latest figures suggest the increase may not have been enough and, despite it, new recruits to the forces remain among the worst-paid public servants in Britain.
Real terms pay for Army privates has increased by just 1.9 per cent since 2011, compared to 13.39 per cent for new junior doctors and 10.14 per cent for train drivers.
An Armed Forces survey published in May showed satisfaction with the basic rate of pay in the military is at its lowest level on record.
Just 32 per cent said they were happy with their pay packets. This survey was conducted before the Government’s pay rises.
The Army, Navy and Air Force have been experiencing a recruitment crisis for the past few years while state bureaucracy has ballooned.
The Civil Service, cut back drastically during David Cameron’s time as prime minister, is now four times the size of the British Armed Forces for the first time. Britain has a public payroll of 543,000 full-time mandarins and 137,000 regular troops.
The figures suggest Britain is struggling to equip itself at a time of rising conflict across the globe.
Al Carns, the defence minister and former Royal Marine, said the Army could be “expended” in as little as six months if it participated in a major Ukraine-style land war.
On Saturday night, John Healey, the Defence Secretary, sent a Christmas message to the 900 British personnel serving in Estonia, which borders Russia.
He said: “Our British deployment in Estonia demonstrates our unshakeable commitment to Nato and the security of Europe, keeping us secure at home and strong abroad.
“Our presence here is a powerful message to our allies and adversaries: the UK stands ready to defend its allies and uphold our shared values, all year round.”
The incoming US administration of Donald Trump is expected to want much higher defence spending from European Nato members.
The president-elect may reportedly demand that most alliance member states spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence. The current NATO target is 2 per cent and, of the 32 member states, only 23 top that threshold.
Mr Trump has previously threatened to abandon America’s European allies if they do not meet spending targets, saying: “They have to pay their bills.”
An MoD spokesman said: “This Government inherited a recruitment crisis, with targets being missed every year for the past 14 years, and is taking decisive action to stop the long-term decline in numbers.
“We have given personnel the largest pay rise in decades and scrapped 100 outdated policies that block and slow down recruitment, as well as [introducing] retention payments for key skills within the Armed Forces.
“Our service personnel make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us all safe and we are proud of their courage, dedication, and professionalism.”
