Report reveals dip in service members and marginal rise in women

Number of US service members drops, small rise in women serving

2022 saw 2.7% drop in service members
Women's representation in military up slightly
Data aids Defense Dept. in meeting military's needs

Updated: Nov 8, 2023 / 09:41 PM CST

FILE – NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg talks to US army soldiers while visiting Prague, Czech Republic, on Sept. 9, 2015. The Czech Republic has completed the ratification of an defense treaty with the United States that deepens military cooperation and make it easier to deploy U.S. troops on Czech territory. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s signature on Wednesday Aug. 16, 2023 was the final step in the ratification process of the Defense Cooperation Agreement. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File)

(NewsNation) — There was a 2.7% decrease in the number of service members but a modest uptick in women serving in the military in 2022, according to a new report released by the U.S. Department of Defense.

The active-duty and selected reserve population saw a decrease of 58,282 service members, resulting in a total of 2,077,630 service members in 2022, according to the “2022 Demographics Profile of the Military Community” report.

Simultaneously, the percentage of women in the military experienced a marginal increase, with women making up 17.5% of the active-duty force, up from 17.3%, and 21.6% of the selected reserve, up from 21.4%.

Over the past 17 years, the percentage of active-duty military women has grown by 2.9%, while the percentage of women in the selected reserve has risen by 4.4%.

“The Demographics Profile of the Military Community and research conducted by the Department ensures we have the quality data we need to understand and respond to the ever-changing needs of our service members and their families,” said Patricia Montes Barron, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Military Community and Family Policy. “The updated demographic data and trends help the Department assess and tailor our policies and programs to best support our Service members and their families.”

Data highlighted in the report includes information from all services, including gender, race, age, education, family members, paygrades and geographic location. It provides a standard resource for policymakers, program planners and those analyzing to support the military community.