A government that looks less like 1979
From 4% under Thatcher. Oxbridge and private schooling have fallen too.
4% → 53%
women
88% → 27%
privately educated
78% → 34%
went to Oxford or Cambridge
In July 1979 Margaret Thatcher's government had 106 ministers. Almost all were men, most had been to private school and well over half to Oxford or Cambridge. The government serving today is a different group of people.
Women
% of serving ministers
Oxbridge-educated
% of those with known education
Privately educated
% of those with a known school
Median age
Years
Much of the change is about which party is in power. Labour governments have consistently had more women and fewer privately educated ministers than Conservative ones. But both parties have moved.
Both parties now appoint far more women
Women as a share of each party's serving ministers, when that party is in government
ConservativeLabour
Show the data
| Date | Ministers | Women % | Con women % | Lab women % | Oxbridge % | Private school % | Median age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979-07-01 | 106 | 3.8 | 3.9 | – | 77.6 | 88.0 | 50.0 |
| 1980-07-01 | 106 | 3.8 | 3.9 | – | 77.6 | 88.0 | 51.0 |
| 1981-07-01 | 105 | 3.8 | 4.0 | – | 78.6 | 87.8 | 51.0 |
| 1982-07-01 | 107 | 3.7 | 3.9 | – | 78.4 | 83.8 | 51.0 |
| 1983-07-01 | 102 | 4.9 | 5.2 | – | 76.8 | 84.2 | 50 |
| 1984-07-01 | 102 | 4.9 | 5.3 | – | 75.3 | 83.2 | 51 |
| 1985-07-01 | 106 | 5.7 | 5.1 | – | 76.2 | 84.0 | 51.0 |
| 1986-07-01 | 106 | 6.6 | 7.0 | – | 73.6 | 81.8 | 50.0 |
| 1987-07-01 | 105 | 6.7 | 7.1 | – | 77.6 | 81.0 | 48 |
| 1988-07-01 | 104 | 6.7 | 7.2 | – | 77.4 | 80.8 | 49.0 |
| 1989-07-01 | 106 | 5.7 | 6.1 | – | 72.1 | 83.0 | 48.5 |
| 1990-07-01 | 107 | 7.5 | 7.8 | – | 72.1 | 85.6 | 49 |
| 1991-07-01 | 108 | 7.4 | 7.8 | – | 69.3 | 83.8 | 48.5 |
| 1992-07-01 | 107 | 7.5 | 7.9 | – | 71.6 | 80.2 | 49.0 |
| 1993-07-01 | 107 | 7.5 | 7.9 | – | 70.7 | 80.2 | 49.0 |
| 1994-07-01 | 107 | 7.5 | 8.0 | – | 69.5 | 80.0 | 51.0 |
| 1995-07-01 | 108 | 9.3 | 9.9 | – | 63.6 | 76.3 | 50.0 |
| 1996-07-01 | 108 | 11.1 | 11.9 | – | 58.9 | 72.3 | 50 |
| 1997-07-01 | 112 | 22.3 | – | 23.0 | 29.2 | 29.9 | 51 |
| 1998-07-01 | 114 | 21.9 | – | 22.5 | 29.6 | 29.6 | 52 |
| 1999-07-01 | 110 | 25.5 | – | 23.5 | 32.4 | 29.8 | 51.0 |
| 2000-07-01 | 110 | 30.0 | – | 27.3 | 34.3 | 31.9 | 51.0 |
| 2001-07-01 | 112 | 29.5 | – | 29.4 | 35.6 | 30.9 | 51.0 |
| 2002-07-01 | 109 | 30.3 | – | 30.0 | 36.4 | 30.9 | 52 |
| 2003-07-01 | 113 | 31.0 | – | 29.8 | 32.0 | 32.0 | 51 |
| 2004-07-01 | 112 | 30.4 | – | 29.1 | 32.4 | 32.3 | 52.0 |
| 2005-07-01 | 112 | 28.6 | – | 28.3 | 26.5 | 27.1 | 52.0 |
| 2006-07-01 | 113 | 27.4 | – | 27.1 | 26.2 | 24.7 | 52 |
| 2007-07-01 | 118 | 32.2 | – | 33.9 | 25.7 | 25.2 | 50.5 |
| 2008-07-01 | 118 | 33.9 | – | 35.5 | 25.7 | 25.7 | 52.5 |
| 2009-07-01 | 121 | 28.9 | – | 30.6 | 25.2 | 28.6 | 54 |
| 2010-07-01 | 119 | 16.0 | 15.6 | – | 49.5 | 64.9 | 53 |
| 2011-07-01 | 119 | 15.1 | 14.6 | – | 49.5 | 64.9 | 54 |
| 2012-07-01 | 118 | 16.9 | 15.7 | – | 50.0 | 64.5 | 55.0 |
| 2013-07-01 | 120 | 19.2 | 16.5 | – | 49.5 | 63.1 | 54.5 |
| 2014-07-01 | 121 | 21.5 | 18.8 | – | 52.2 | 61.9 | 53 |
| 2015-07-01 | 118 | 25.4 | 24.5 | – | 45.9 | 56.5 | 50.5 |
| 2016-07-01 | 117 | 24.8 | 24.0 | – | 46.4 | 58.5 | 52 |
| 2017-07-01 | 118 | 24.6 | 23.8 | – | 43.0 | 51.9 | 51.0 |
| 2018-07-01 | 120 | 30.8 | 31.5 | – | 44.4 | 52.8 | 51.0 |
| 2019-07-01 | 117 | 30.8 | 30.9 | – | 43.0 | 59.8 | 52 |
| 2020-07-01 | 120 | 33.3 | 34.2 | – | 41.3 | 57.5 | 50.0 |
| 2021-07-01 | 121 | 31.4 | 31.9 | – | 42.5 | 56.1 | 52 |
| 2022-07-01 | 122 | 33.6 | 33.9 | – | 43.8 | 50.5 | 53.0 |
| 2023-07-01 | 126 | 31.0 | 31.0 | – | 42.0 | 46.2 | 53.0 |
| 2024-07-01 | 126 | 27.0 | 27.0 | – | 41.8 | 41.8 | 52.0 |
| 2025-07-01 | 119 | 50.4 | – | 50.4 | 32.1 | 21.5 | 53 |
| 2026-07-01 | 124 | 49.2 | – | 49.2 | 33.3 | 28.4 | 50 |