Who are the civil service?
The nutshell
The civil service is the large group of staff who carry out the government's decisions and keep public services running. Civil servants are not politicians and are not voted for. Most keep the same jobs when a new government wins power.
Every fact on this page comes from official rules and non-partisan explainers. Each source tag — like IfG — opens where a fact comes from.
The basics
What the civil service is
The civil service is the group of people who work for the government of the day. Civil servants carry out the decisions that ministers make, and help run public services like tax, benefits and passports. The Institute for Government describes civil servants as politically impartial officials who support the work of central government departments.IfG
Not politicians, and not elected
Ministers are politicians. Most are MPs who won a seat at an election, then were picked by the Prime Minister to run a department. Civil servants are different. Civil servants are not elected and do not belong to any political party. The House of Commons Library explains that ministers make the decisions and answer to Parliament, while the civil service carries those decisions out.HoC
The same rules for every government
By law, civil servants must be politically impartial. This means treating every party fairly and serving whichever party is in power. The Civil Service Code sets out four values that every civil servant must follow — integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.GOV Because of this, the same civil servants stay in post when a new government is voted in.
How big the civil service is
The civil service is large. Official figures show that more than 500,000 people worked as civil servants across the UK in 2025.StatsCivil servants work in departments that deal with things like tax, benefits, defence, prisons and driving licences. Not every public worker is a civil servant, though — NHS staff, teachers and council workers are counted separately.
- By law, civil servants must be politically impartial and serve whichever party is in power, says the Civil Service Code
- The same civil servants stay in post when the government changes, which the Institute for Government calls a long-standing strength
- More than 500,000 people worked as civil servants across the UK in 2025, according to official Civil Service Statistics
- Civil servants are not politicians — ministers make the decisions, and the civil service carries those decisions out, the House of Commons Library explains
- Civil servants are not elected, so a vote at an election cannot pick or remove a civil servant
- Not every public worker is a civil servant — NHS staff, teachers and council workers are counted separately
The deep end6 min
What the civil service does
The civil service is the permanent body of officials that supports the government in shaping and carrying out policy. The Institute for Government describes civil servants as politically impartial, appointed officials of the UK Home Civil Service, which supports the work of central government departments.IfG Ministers, who are politicians answerable to Parliament, set the direction. Civil servants then advise on the options and put the chosen decisions into effect. The House of Commons Library sets out this line of accountability — the civil service answers to ministers, and ministers answer to Parliament.HoC
The four values, and the law behind the Code
The Civil Service Code sets the standards expected of civil servants. It lists four core values — integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality — and defines each one.GOV Impartiality is defined as acting solely according to the merits of the case and serving equally well governments of different political persuasions. The Code is not just guidance. The Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 put the requirement for a Civil Service Code into law, and requires officials to serve the government whatever its political complexion.
One impartial service, or more political control?
Most of the debate about the civil service is not about what it does, but about how impartial and permanent it should be. The Institute for Government argues that a permanent civil service able to serve governments of any party is a long-standing strength, and points to evidence that impartial administrations tend to be more effective and less corrupt.IfG The counter-view, that an elected government should be able to appoint more senior officials who share its aims, is a recurring theme in UK politics. The Civil Service Code answers this by requiring, in law, that officials serve the government of the day whatever its political persuasion while staying politically impartial.GOV
How many, and who is not counted
As at 31 March 2025, official Civil Service Statistics recorded 549,660 civil servants, or 516,150 on a full-time-equivalent basis, which counts part-time staff as fractions of a full-time job.Stats The count covers central government departments and executive agencies. It does not include NHS staff, teachers, police officers, the armed forces or local council workers, who are public servants but not civil servants.