Population of solicitors in England and Wales
We regulate solicitors and law firms, as well as other lawyers and non-lawyer managers in those law firms across England and Wales. We also regulate those working as registered European or foreign lawyers.
Our purpose is to protect the public by making sure that solicitors meet high standards, and by acting when risks are identified.
The graph chart below shows the trend in the number of practising solicitors (those holding practising certificates). There are currently 168,790 practising solicitors.
Each year, practising solicitors must renew their practising certificate and we revoke those which are not renewed. This means there will be a fall in the numbers of practising solicitors at certain points in the table.
We also carry out a keeping of the roll exercise. This was reintroduced in 2023, the result of which can be seen in July, and will now be come an annual exercise.
Snapshot of solicitors
As well as practising solicitors we also regulate registered European lawyers, registered foreign lawyers, and exempt European lawyers. The current numbers of these three groups can be seen in the table below.
The total number of solicitors on the roll at the end of August 2024 was 203,794.
| Date range | All solicitors on the roll | Practising solicitors | Registered European lawyers | Registered foreign lawyers | Exempt European lawyers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2024 | 203794 | 168790 | 11 | 6886 | 125 |
| July 2024 | 202524 | 167648 | 10 | 6811 | 125 |
| June 2024 | 207002 | 167070 | 10 | 6748 | 125 |
| May 2024 | 206454 | 166451 | 10 | 6702 | 125 |
| April 2024 | 205885 | 165742 | 10 | 6598 | 126 |
| March 2024 | 205342 | 164916 | 10 | 6495 | 128 |
| February 2024 | 204272 | 163658 | 10 | 6419 | 137 |
| January 2024 | 203693 | 162927 | 10 | 6175 | 137 |
| December 2023 | 203048 | 161879 | 10 | 6068 | 138 |
| November 2023 | 202395 | 165361 | 11 | 6423 | 138 |
| October 2023 | 201690 | 166256 | 11 | 6370 | 138 |
| September 2023 | 200830 | 165359 | 12 | 6349 | 139 |
| August 2023 | 198456 | 163189 | 11 | 6294 | 139 |
| July 2023 | 197399 | 162128 | 11 | 6242 | 139 |
| June 2023 | 223365 | 161623 | 11 | 6179 | 139 |
| May 2023 | 222994 | 161149 | 10 | 6102 | 140 |
| April 2023 | 222537 | 160432 | 10 | 6020 | 141 |
| March 2023 | 222007 | 159568 | 10 | 5851 | 141 |
| February 2023 | 220864 | 158163 | 10 | 5812 | 142 |
| January 2023 | 220455 | 157437 | 9 | 5809 | 142 |
| December 2022 | 220069 | 156405 | 9 | 5782 | 165 |
| November 2022 | 219749 | 159994 | 8 | 6072 | 165 |
| October 2022 | 219424 | 160676 | 8 | 6000 | 166 |
| September 2022 | 218932 | 159741 | 8 | 5949 | 166 |
| August 2022 | 217021 | 157774 | 8 | 5894 | 172 |
| July 2022 | 216171 | 156965 | 8 | 5928 | 173 |
| June 2022 | 215896 | 156518 | 8 | 5887 | 197 |
| May 2022 | 215567 | 156055 | 8 | 5852 | 198 |
| April 2022 | 215186 | 155527 | 8 | 5758 | 198 |
| March 2022 | 214876 | 154980 | 8 | 5653 | 198 |
| February 2022 | 214032 | 153840 | 8 | 5507 | 198 |
| January 2022 | 213504 | 156356 | 16 | 5849 | 198 |
| December 2021 | 213165 | 156122 | 17 | 5834 | 199 |
| November 2021 | 212912 | 156413 | 18 | 5836 | 199 |
| October 2021 | 212601 | 156928 | 18 | 5836 | 198 |
| September 2021 | 212218 | 156323 | 19 | 5778 | 173 |
| August 2021 | 210152 | 154273 | 17 | 5723 | 173 |
| July 2021 | 209181 | 153246 | 18 | 5652 | 173 |
| June 2021 | 208859 | 152762 | 17 | 5587 | 173 |
| May 2021 | 208645 | 152393 | 15 | 5541 | 173 |
| Apri 2021 | 208366 | 151885 | 15 | 5463 | 174 |
| March 2021 | 207916 | 154170 | 14 | 5632 | 177 |
| February 2021 | 206972 | 153616 | 14 | 5596 | 177 |
| January 2021 | 206488 | 152997 | 141 | 5587 | 1772 |
| December 2020 | 206271 | 152528 | 759 | 2917 | 3800 |
| November 2020 | 205823 | 153560 | 756 | 2885 | 3793 |
| October 2020 | 205688 | 153082 | 763 | 2856 | 3776 |
| September 2020 | 204641 | 152060 | 776 | 2816 | 3765 |
| August 2020 | 203156 | 150695 | 778 | 2801 | 3762 |
| July 2020 | 202460 | 150021 | 781 | 2779 | 3762 |
| June 2020 | 202265 | 149621 | 781 | 2758 | 3715 |
| May 2020 | 201873 | 149152 | 784 | 2729 | 3699 |
| April 2020 | 201547 | 148770 | 792 | 2699 | 3672 |
| March 2020 | 201186 | 148284 | 826 | 2648 | 3618 |
| February 2020 | 200320 | 147333 | 820 | 2609 | 3599 |
| January 2020 | 200021 | 146791 | 793 | 2572 | 3604 |
| December 2019 | 199742 | 146092 | 753 | 2542 | 3588 |
| November 2019 | 199503 | 149005 | 769 | 2688 | 3576 |
| October 2019 | 199181 | 150349 | 761 | 2685 | 3564 |
| September 2019 | 198692 | 149806 | 741 | 2662 | 3548 |
| August 2019 | 196324 | 147403 | 733 | 2638 | 3522 |
| July 2019 | 195952 | 146913 | 731 | 2602 | 3500 |
| June 2019 | 195660 | 146418 | 728 | 2568 | 3489 |
| May 2019 | 195334 | 146046 | 732 | 2544 | 3469 |
| April 2019 | 194969 | 145547 | 722 | 2515 | 3432 |
| March 2019 | 194464 | 144845 | 715 | 2439 | 3400 |
| February 2019 | 193451 | 143683 | 690 | 2390 | 3385 |
| January 2019 | 193162 | 143187 | 679 | 2369 | 3305 |
| December 2018 | 192866 | 143198 | 667 | 2364 | 3222 |
| November 2018 | 192516 | 145999 | 694 | 2493 | 3217 |
| October 2018 | 192121 | 146625 | 689 | 2491 | 3203 |
| September 2018 | 191621 | 146050 | 699 | 2470 | 3191 |
| August 2018 | 189236 | 143652 | 693 | 2449 | 3174 |
| July 2018 | 188880 | 143184 | 677 | 2406 | 3164 |
| June 2018 | 188557 | 142665 | 668 | 2396 | 3147 |
| May 2018 | 188274 | 142286 | 661 | 2383 | 3120 |
| April 2018 | 187961 | 141811 | 649 | 2348 | 3097 |
| March 2018 | 187469 | 141121 | 647 | 2331 | 3052 |
| February 2018 | 186560 | 140064 | 642 | 2315 | 3004 |
| January 2018 | 186269 | 139579 | 635 | 2278 | 2996 |
| December 2017 | 185900 | 139797 | 633 | 2258 | 2978 |
| November 2017 | 185596 | 142359 | 673 | 2420 | 2968 |
| October 2017 | 185240 | 143072 | 676 | 2407 | 2938 |
| September 2017 | 184736 | 142515 | 676 | 2398 | 2923 |
| August 2017 | 182324 | 140083 | 667 | 2389 | 2920 |
| July 2017 | 181982 | 139638 | 661 | 2364 | 2919 |
| June 2017 | 181619 | 139084 | 654 | 2350 | 2907 |
| May 2017 | 181347 | 138758 | 651 | 2327 | 2892 |
| April 2017 | 181000 | 138280 | 649 | 2308 | 2918 |
| March 2017 | 180559 | 137623 | 650 | 2294 | 2899 |
| February 2017 | 179647 | 136596 | 640 | 2234 | 2834 |
| January 2017 | 179317 | 136068 | 630 | 2215 | 2816 |
| December 2016 | 178972 | 135309 | 602 | 2194 | 2849 |
| November 2016 | 178682 | 138063 | 612 | 2325 | 2832 |
| October 2016 | 178340 | 139313 | 627 | 2337 | 2827 |
| September 2016 | 177785 | 138905 | 619 | 2320 | 2830 |
| August 2016 | 175582 | 136701 | 611 | 2309 | 2825 |
| July 2016 | 175181 | 136211 | 599 | 2289 | 2805 |
| June 2016 | 174732 | 135598 | 593 | 2279 | 2784 |
| May 2016 | 174416 | 135221 | 581 | 2243 | 2776 |
| April 2016 | 174095 | 134785 | 567 | 2211 | 2743 |
| March 2016 | 173636 | 134099 | 551 | 2193 | 2721 |
| February 2016 | 172788 | 133224 | 531 | 2166 | 2718 |
| January 2016 | 172380 | 132635 | 522 | 2147 | 2713 |
| December 2015 | 172033 | 132245 | 504 | 2166 | 2718 |
| November 2015 | 171760 | 136940 | 531 | 2310 | 2694 |
| October 2015 | 171464 | 136294 | 515 | 2296 | 2695 |
| September 2015 | 170857 | 135976 | 510 | 2281 | 2682 |
| August 2015 | 168663 | 133837 | 496 | 2266 | 2674 |
| July 2015 | 168231 | 133364 | 482 | 2249 | 2666 |
| June 2015 | 167866 | 132864 | 476 | 2230 | 2651 |
| May 2015 | 167503 | 132520 | 467 | 2201 | 2616 |
| April 2015 | 167147 | 132087 | 455 | 2175 | 2590 |
| March 2015 | 166737 | 131518 | 431 | 2138 | 2577 |
| February 2015 | 165754 | 130443 | 427 | 2122 | 2567 |
| January 2015 | 165368 | 129922 | 420 | 2069 | 2567 |
| December 2014 | 164951 | 129246 | 401 | 2027 | 2568 |
| November 2014 | 164598 | 132636 | 439 | 2115 | 2540 |
| October 2014 | 164133 | 133327 | 445 | 2132 | 2539 |
| September 2014 | 163336 | 132975 | 443 | 2131 | 2531 |
| August 2014 | 161091 | 130846 | 424 | 2102 | 2527 |
| July 2014 | 160546 | 130419 | 412 | 2082 | 2527 |
| June 2014 | 166423 | 129552 | 414 | 2071 | 2513 |
| May 2014 | 166119 | 129552 | 408 | 2044 | 2495 |
| April 2014 | 165781 | 129083 | 392 | 2021 | 2471 |
| March 2014 | 165242 | 128425 | 383 | 2003 | 2464 |
| February 2014 | 164365 | 127423 | 374 | 1994 | 2452 |
| January 2014 | 163898 | 130612 | 405 | 2140 | 2433 |
| December 2013 | 163514 | 131134 | 397 | 2130 | 2420 |
| November 2013 | 163015 | 130812 | 384 | 2106 | 2414 |
| October 2013 | 162367 | 130643 | 383 | 2095 | 2340 |
| September 2013 | 161323 | 129794 | 380 | 2076 | 2343 |
| August 2013 | 158872 | 127874 | 375 | 1914 | 2342 |
| July 2013 | 167790 | 127575 | 376 | 1898 | 2338 |
| June 2013 | 167457 | 127068 | 370 | 1889 | 2308 |
| May 2013 | 167146 | 126624 | 364 | 1870 | 2301 |
| April 2013 | 166522 | 126064 | 354 | 1851 | 2269 |
| March 2013 | 165956 | 125192 | 371 | 1825 | 2239 |
| February 2013 | 164998 | 128169 | 409 | 2018 | 2226 |
| January 2013 | 164793 | 128379 | 401 | 2000 | 2174 |
| December 2012 | 164181 | 128419 | 393 | 1978 | 2078 |
| November 2012 | 163031 | 127890 | 388 | 1967 | 2077 |
| October 2012 | 169338 | 127353 | 384 | 1955 | 2077 |
| September 2012 | 168713 | 127109 | 368 | 1929 | 2047 |
| August 2012 | 166385 | 124968 | 367 | 1744 | 2046 |
| July 2012 | 166007 | 128710 | 385 | 1852 | 2042 |
| June 2012 | 165748 | 128860 | 366 | 1835 | 2023 |
| May 2012 | 165519 | 128569 | 360 | 1812 | 2025 |
| April 2012 | 165227 | 128240 | 343 | 1784 | 2018 |
| March 2012 | 164841 | 127884 | 338 | 1780 | 2016 |
| February 2012 | 163978 | 126858 | 328 | 1768 | 2001 |
| January 2012 | 163229 | 126008 | 327 | 1765 | 1997 |
| December 2011 | 163259 | 125718 | 317 | 1742 | 1996 |
| November 2011 | 163108 | 125473 | 304 | 1728 | 1997 |
| October 2011 | 162818 | 125011 | 305 | 1722 | 1994 |
| September 2011 | 161815 | 124306 | 300 | 1707 | 1989 |
| August 2011 | 159798 | 122343 | 294 | 1680 | 1966 |
Notes
- Following the UK's exit from the EU only Swiss registered European lawyers (REL) can continue as an REL up to 1 January 2024. All other RELs are now registered foreign lawyers.
- Following the UK's exit from the EU most exempt European lawyers (EELs) are no longer treated as legally qualified in England and Wales. All non-UK EELs are now registered foreign lawyers. Since January 2021 this column only shows those who are UK EELs.