The first long-term study of the welfare needs of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines community has set out how support may need to evolve over the next 15 years, despite overall force numbers remaining broadly stable.
Commissioned by Greenwich Hospital and carried out by RAND Europe, the Meeting the Needs of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Community report provides detailed analysis of how the size, demographics and support requirements of the community are changing, and what that could mean for naval welfare provision to 2040.
The research projects that serving Royal Navy and Royal Marines numbers will remain between 32,000 and 35,000 through to 2040. However, it highlights that pressures are increasingly shaped not by headcount but by complexity and family impact.
Separation due to deployments, operational unpredictability and the growth of “weekending” arrangements are identified as significant sources of strain on families. Partners report higher levels of loneliness and poorer mental wellbeing, particularly when living away from naval bases. Families with younger children or additional needs face particular challenges during deployments, including difficulties around childcare.
The report also points to challenges around transition to civilian life for some personnel, including risks linked to mental health, employment and financial security. While the former serving Royal Navy and Royal Marines population is expected to decline by around a third by 2040, it is projected to become more intergenerational, combining younger leavers with an ageing cohort.
Resilience and self-reliance are described as enduring strengths within the naval community, but the study suggests these traits can sometimes delay help-seeking, with support often accessed only when problems reach crisis point. The findings emphasise the need for greater focus on prevention, early intervention and family-centred support, alongside more flexible services.
In response to the research, Greenwich Hospital is working with Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity to develop a long-term funding strategy through to 2040. The study’s findings are being integrated with financial modelling undertaken by EY to help shape a sustainable funding profile for naval welfare support.
Deirdre Mills, director of Greenwich Hospital, said the research provides a clearer understanding of lived experience within the Royal Navy and Royal Marines community and a foundation for delivering relevant and sustainable support into the future.
