Report Summary
Issued 20 August 2025, this FOI response provides some of the information requested on police officer ethnicity and religion and explains that other information is not held by the Scottish Police Authority. Advice is provided that information may be held by Police Scotland.
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Request
Your request for information dated 13 August 2025 is copied below.
I am requesting the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
- Please provide a breakdown of current serving police officers by ethnic group, using the same ethnicity categories as recorded in your HR system (e.g., White, Asian, Black, Mixed, Other, or equivalent).
For each category, provide:
. The number of officers.
. The percentage they represent of the total police officer headcount.
1a. Please provide the same ethnic group breakdown for each of the previous three complete calendar years.
- Current serving police officers who self-identify as Muslim:
Please provide both the number and the percentage of the total police officer headcount.
2a. Please also provide the same Muslim-identification breakdown for each of the previous three complete calendar years.
- Current serving police officers by rank and ethnic group:
For each ethnicity category, provide the number of officers at each rank (e.g., Constable, Sergeant, Inspector, Chief Inspector, Superintendent, Chief Superintendent, and all higher ranks). Please use the same ethnicity categories as in section 1.
If possible, also include the percentage each figure represents within that rank.
3a. Please also provide the same rank and ethnicity breakdown for each of the previous three complete years
- Current serving police officers by rank who self-identify as Muslim:
For each rank, provide the number of officers and the percentage they represent within that rank.
4a. Please also provide the same rank and Muslim-identification breakdown for each of the previous three complete calendar years.
