Number of academics working in the UK falls for first time

The number of academics working in UK institutions has fallen for the first time on record, new figures reveal.

In a further sign of the impact of the financial crisis gripping the sector, new data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa) show that 244,755 academic staff were working in the UK in 2024-25.

This was down from a peak of 246,930 the year before and the first time in the 10-year Hesa record that the total number has fallen. The figures exclude “atypical” roles including academics on short-term or one-off contracts.

The number of professors increased slightly to 26,110, as did the number of other senior academics (6,590) – but there were 2,600 fewer people employed at other contract levels (212,055).

The Hesa figures reveal that more academics left roles than started them in 2024-25 for the first time ever.

The number of leavers increased by 3 per cent to 43,050, and the number of starters fell by 15 per cent to 40,755. This was down from a peak of 48,195 new hires only two years ago.

About 60 per cent of Universities UK members saw a fall in academic staff numbers last year.

The biggest change came at the University of Winchester where its number of academics plummeted by almost a third to 520.

There were also significant drops at Goldsmiths, University of London (22 per cent), Robert Gordon University (20 per cent) and London South Bank University (18 per cent).

Russell Group members Durham, York, Newcastle, Cardiff, Nottingham and Queen’s University Belfast all recorded falling academic staff numbers.

The figures suggest that the job losses across the sector were largely among domestic academics.

The total number of UK staff fell by a record 2 per cent to 159,145, though they still make up almost two-thirds of the population.

The number of academics from the European Union also dropped by a record 1.5 per cent – the fifth successive fall. And the number from outside the EU increased by 4.6 per cent to 46,795.

Since 2019-20, it has not been mandatory for providers in England and Northern Ireland to return information about staff not classed as academics.

Analysis of about 120 institutions which have provided data each year suggests that the number of non-academic staff rose slightly to a record 202,330.

But some universities reduced their support services numbers quite significantly – including at the University of Worcester (44 per cent down), Robert Gordon University (16 per cent) and Sheffield Hallam University (15 per cent).

patrick.jack@timeshighereducation.com