UK higher education sees first dip in academic staff numbers in a decade: HESA Data

The number of academic staff employed in UK higher education fell by one per cent in 2024–25, marking the first decline since 2014–15, according to the latest figures released by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). As of December 1, 2024, a total of 244,755 academic staff (excluding atypical contracts) were employed across 228 higher education providers, down from 2,46,930 in the previous academic year. The data is based on staff records collected and published by HESA, which operates under Jisc. Read More | UK higher education enrollments fall as postgraduate taught numbers slide The decline was driven mainly by a reduction in male academic staff numbers, which fell by two per cent to 1,23,785. In contrast, the number of female academic staff remained broadly unchanged at 1,19,710. Overall, men continued to make up a slight majority of academic staff. Despite the overall fall, international representation increased. The number of academic staff with a non-EU nationality rose by five per cent between 2023-24 and 2024-25, while the number of staff with UK and EU nationality each declined by two per cent. The data also highlights changing employment patterns. Nearly 29 per cent of academic staff were employed on fixed-term contracts, with part-time staff more likely to be on such contracts than full-time staff. Among part-time academic staff, 43 per cent were on fixed-term contracts, compared with 21 per cent of full-time staff. Read | ‘Indian students aren’t abandoning US; they’re recalibrating’: TOEFL chief dismisses rumours of ETS selling testing business Teaching and research roles continued to dominate academic employment. In 2024-25, 43 per cent of academic staff were employed on combined teaching-and-research contracts, while 35 per cent were on teaching-only contracts. The proportion of staff with a research element in their role increased to 64 per cent, reversing a long-term downward trend. Professors accounted for 11 per cent of academic staff, or 26,110 individuals. Of these, 32 per cent were women, continuing a gradual increase in female representation at senior academic levels. Almost half of all professors were aged 56 or above. Diversity indicators showed incremental change. Among academic staff with known ethnicity, 26 per cent were from ethnic minority backgrounds, up from 24 per cent the previous year. However, only 14 per cent of professors with known ethnicity were from ethnic minority groups. HESA noted that the data reflect staff employed on a single census date and advised caution in interpreting trends related to non-academic staff, as reporting was not mandatory for all providers. The figures were released as part of the annual Higher Education Staff Statistics: UK, 2024/25 bulletin, published on February 19, 2026.