September 10, 2025 | Human Resources , Officer and Staff: Recruitment and Promotion
Request Number: FOI/15483
Category: Human Resources - Recruitment
Subject: Police ethnicity and religion FOI
Request and Answer:
Your request for information has now been considered. In respect of Section 1(1)(a) of the Act we can confirm that the Police Service of Northern Ireland does hold some of the information to which your request relates. We consider some of the information you seek in request numbers 3 and 3a is exempt by virtue of Section 40 of FOI Act and have detailed our rationale as to why this exemption applies. We have also provided you with links to guidance issued by the Information Commissioner’s Office which we have followed in responding to your request. The decision has been taken to disclose the following.
Request 1
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.
Request 1a
Please provide the same ethnic group breakdown for each of the previous three complete calendar years.
Answers 1 and 1a
Please see the separate document attached containing the answers to requests 1 and 1a.
Request 2
Current serving police officers who self-identify as Muslim:
Please provide both the number and the percentage of the total police officer headcount.
Request 2a
Please also provide the same Muslim-identification breakdown for each of the previous three complete calendar years.
Answers 2 and 2a
The Police Service of Northern Ireland does not currently monitor religious belief but monitors community background to comply with our statutory obligations.
Request 3
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.
Request 3a
Please also provide the same rank and ethnicity breakdown for each of the previous three complete years.
Answers 3 and 3a
We consider some of the information you seek in request numbers 3 and 3a is exempt by virtue of Section 40 of FOI Act and have detailed our rationale as to why this exemption applies.
On this occasion PSNI have made the decision to withhold some of the data requested in request numbers 3 and 3a as we consider this to be both low level and identifiable. Therefore there is a significant risk that this level of detail requested could potentially lead to identification of PSNI Officers and thus a breach of Data Protection regulations therefore Section 40 (2) of FOI Act applies as articulated below.
Section 17(1) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 requires the Police Service of Northern Ireland when refusing to provide such information ( because the information is exempt) to provide you the applicant with a notice which :
(a) states the fact,
(b) specifies the exemption in question and
(c) states (if not otherwise apparent) why the exemption applies.
The exemption, as well as the factors the Department considered when deciding where the public interest lies, are listed below:
- Section 40(2)(a)(b) by virtue of Section 40(3)(A)(a)- Personal Information – Information constitutes personal data and disclosure would contravene any of the Data Protection principles.
The full text of exemptions can be found at www.legislation.gov.uk and further guidance on how they operate can be located on the Information Commissioners Office website www.ico.org.uk.
Section 40
Section 40 (2) of the FOIA is an absolute exemption which means there is no requirement on PSNI to consider whether there is a public interest in disclosure. It is an interface exemption and we must consider whether release of the information would breach the General Data Protection Regulations (‘GDPR’) or the Data Protection Act 2018 (‘DPA’). Third party personal information constitutes ‘personal data’ under the GDPR (Article 4) and DPA (Part 1 s.3).
Under the Freedom of Information Act, PSNI must consider if information can be released into the public domain. PSNI have therefore considered whether the disclosure of this personal data is subject to the exemption at Section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 by virtue of s40 (3) (A) (a). As this information is ‘personal data’, PSNI considered whether disclosure would contravene any of the six data protection principles contained within the GDPR or DPA.
The six data protection principles are good information handling standards which PSNI must comply with in relation to how it handles personal information, including deciding whether to disclose it or not. In particular, the first principle requires personal data to be processed in a lawful and fair manner. In considering whether it is ‘fair’ to any individual to release information about them, PSNI considered the likely expectations of those individuals and the nature of the information involved. Individuals must have confidence that their information is treated sensitively and appropriately by PSNI. We consider those individuals including police officers would not have any reasonable expectation PSNI would disclose such information of this nature about them. We consider it would be extremely unfair to those individuals and therefore a breach of the first principle of data protection legislation. This information is therefore exempt under section 40 (2) of the FOIA as it contravenes data protection legislation to release it and PSNI has made the decision to withhold that information.
The release of information under the Freedom of Information Act is considered a release into the public domain and not just to the individual requesting the information. Once information is disclosed by FOI there is no control or limits as to who or how the information is shared with other individuals, therefore a release under FOI is considered a release to the world in general.
We are however providing the table below which contains the aggregated answers to request numbers 3 and 3a. Please note ethnic minority categories have been provided as one group. Chief Inspector rank and above has also been aggregated into 1 group titled ‘Senior Officers’ .It is presented this way so as to minimise possible disclosure of any personal information.
| Date | Rank | White | Ethnic Minority | Prefer not to say | Not Disclosed | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |||
| 01/08/2025 | Senior Officer | 166 | 95.95 | 1 | 0.58 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 3.47 | 173 |
| Inspector | 369 | 99.19 | 2 | 0.54 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.27 | 372 | |
| Sergeant | 982 | 99.59 | 4 | 0.41 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 986 | |
| Constable | 4597 | 99.12 | 37 | 0.80 | 1 | 0.02 | 3 | 0.06 | 4638 | |
| 01/01/2025 | Senior Officer | 163 | 95.88 | 1 | 0.59 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 3.53 | 170 |
| Inspector | 363 | 99.73 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.27 | 364 | |
| Sergeant | 1030 | 99.32 | 7 | 0.68 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1037 | |
| Constable | 4609 | 99.20 | 33 | 0.71 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.09 | 4646 | |
| 01/01/2024 | Senior Officer | 167 | 96.53 | 1 | 0.59 | 0 | 0.00 | 6 | 3.53 | 170 |
| Inspector | 363 | 99.73 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0.27 | 364 | |
| Sergeant | 1030 | 99.32 | 7 | 0.68 | 0 | 0.00 | 0 | 0.00 | 1037 | |
| Constable | 4609 | 99.20 | 33 | 0.71 | 0 | 0.00 | 4 | 0.09 | 4646 | |
| 01/01/2023 | Senior Officer | 168 | 96.55 | 1 | 0.57 | 0 | 0.00 | 5 | 2.87 | 174 |
| Inspector | 365 | 98.65 | 2 | 0.54 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.81 | 370 | |
| Sergeant | 1039 | 99.05 | 7 | 0.67 | 0 | 0.00 | 3 | 0.29 | 1049 | |
| Constable | 5075 | 99.24 | 31 | 0.61 | 0 | 0.00 | 8 | 0.16 | 5114 | |
Request 4
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.
Request 4a
Please also provide the same rank and Muslim-identification breakdown for each of the previous three complete calendar years.
Please provide all data in tabular format (e.g., CSV or Excel) if available.
Answers 4 and 4a
The Police Service of Northern Ireland does not currently monitor religious belief but monitors community background to comply with our statutory obligations.