Gen Z willing to enlist if the military can convert their interest, survey shows
Cyber-attacks are the number one threat, the UK must increase its military strength and the Government should speed up its commitment to raise defence spending.
These are the three policies the British public believes should be put front and centre in the minds of those in charge of the UK's Armed Forces.
The Forces for Change survey, compiled by PwC, asked 3,000 members of the UK public aged 16 or older about their attitudes towards the British Armed Forces.
Changing face of threat in the last decade
The survey revealed a noticeable change in the British public's perception of threats to the UK, as concerns around cyber-attacks, nuclear attacks and the threat of conflict involving a state in Europe and the Atlantic have risen over the last 10 years.
Concerns around cyber-attacks have increased sharply from 11% in 2015 to 23% this year, due to the growing number of attacks on household brands like M&S, Co-Op, Jaguar Land Rover and global corporates.
On the other hand, the public is less worried about terror attacks in the UK and lone wolf attacks than in 2015, after the UK and its global partners managed to quell ISIS in the Middle East.
Alongside the threats, the survey showed that the British public thinks the UK should have stronger military capabilities, as support for greater military strength rose from 53% in 2015 to 66% this year following Russia's increased aggression over the years in Ukraine.
"As defence spending increases, there will be difficult choices between developing new capabilities and sustaining readiness to fight," Ian Hillier, PwC's UK defence leader, said.
"There's an opportunity to put the UK's considerable financial muscle to better use.
"With the right strategies, we can improve our military readiness, provide value for money, and increase the pace of procurement – while delivering growth for the economy."
Young people open to contributing to defence efforts
PwC's research also showed that 14% of 16 to 17-year-olds would be willing to enlist, while 26% of people that age would be willing to serve in the UK Armed Forces full-time or as reservists.
This comes as figures show that more people have joined the Regular Armed Forces over the last year than those who left, according to the UK government's latest statistics on military retention.
The report said that these figures raise questions about the UK Armed Forces' ability to convert this interest into full-time military roles, reservist roles, or civilian jobs.
"The forces have the support of the public; the challenge lies in harnessing that goodwill to encourage more people to contribute to defence efforts, whether in military or civilian roles," Mr Hillier added.
"Such high levels of public support should also give policymakers licence to be bold and invest in the modernisation of industry to support agile, responsive Armed Forces."
The professional services company also called for a comprehensive approach to national resilience and defence with more sectors working together, so that the UK can deal with attacks and disasters.
Related topics
Join Our Newsletter
