- England: Department for Education, Apprenticeships statistics (explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk), academic years 2015/16 to 2025/26; DfE FOI response to request of 28 July 2025 (two data-table permalinks, see Methodology)
- Scotland: Skills Development Scotland, Modern Apprenticeship Statistics
- Business context: ONS Business Population Estimates; HMRC FOI responses (see Business & Economic Data)
Data Period: 2015/16 – 2024/25 full years; 2025/26 in-year (August 2025 to April 2026)
First published: August 2025. Last updated: 05/09/2026 — page restructured to separate hairdressing and barbering from beauty and nails; 2024/25 full-year and 2025/26 in-year data added; completions table replaced with achievements; see Corrections.
Correction notice — 5 September 2026
The England starts series previously published on this page (18,170 in 2015/16 to 7,350 in 2023/24) was labelled "hairdressing". It was in fact hairdressing, barbering, beauty and nails combined, as returned by the Department for Education in response to our July 2025 Freedom of Information request. The figures were correct; the label was not. The page now shows hairdressing and barbering separately (Table A) from the combined series (Table B). Four combined-series figures have also been revised to match the DfE's current tables, and the completions table has been replaced with a like-for-like achievements series. Full details in Section 9.
Summary
This report presents official government apprenticeship data for hairdressing, barbering and beauty in England (Department for Education) and hairdressing in Scotland (Skills Development Scotland), from 2015/16 to the most recent data available.
England: Hairdressing & Barbering (2024/25)
Apprenticeship starts
−1,510 (−22.3%) on 2023/24 · −67.3% since 2015/16
England: Hair & Beauty combined (2024/25)
Apprenticeship starts
−1,620 (−22.0%) on 2023/24 · −68.5% since 2015/16
England: 2025/26 so far (Aug–Apr)
Hairdressing & barbering starts, reported to date
Nine months of a twelve-month year; not comparable to full-year figures
Scotland (2023/24)
Hairdressing MA starts
+201 on 2022/23 · completion rate 76%
Key Figures
England, hairdressing and barbering only (Table A):
- 2015/16: 16,080 starts
- 2019/20: 7,200 starts
- 2023/24: 6,760 starts
- 2024/25: 5,250 starts
- Change 2015/16 to 2024/25: −10,830 starts (−67.3%)
- Of that fall, 8,880 starts (82%) occurred by 2019/20
- 2025/26 in-year (Aug–Apr): 3,890 starts, reported to date
England, hair and beauty combined (Table B):
- 2015/16: 18,170 starts
- 2024/25: 5,730 starts
- Change 2015/16 to 2024/25: −12,440 starts (−68.5%)
Scotland (hairdressing only):
- 2015/16: 967 starts
- 2020/21: 284 starts
- 2023/24: 606 starts
- Completion rate: 61% (2020/21) to 76% (2023/24), equal to the all-sector average for the first time in the series
What these tables count
Two definitions, one page
Official business and employment statistics treat "hair and beauty" as one sector (SIC 96020) and cannot separate hairdressing from beauty. Apprenticeship data can be separated, because each apprenticeship standard and framework is recorded individually. This page therefore gives two England series:
- Table A — Hairdressing and barbering only: Hairdressing Professional (ST0213), Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214), Barbering Professional (ST1273), plus the legacy Hairdressing and Barbering frameworks that preceded them.
- Table B — Hair and beauty combined: Table A plus Beauty Therapist (ST0630), Advanced Beauty Therapist (ST0211), Beauty and Make Up Consultant (ST0636), Nail Services Technician (ST0635) and the legacy Beauty Therapy and Nail Services frameworks.
Scotland figures (Skills Development Scotland) are for the Hairdressing Modern Apprenticeship framework only and are shown separately. They are not added to the England figures.
Organisations representing hairdressers sometimes quote hair-only figures and sometimes sector-wide ones. Before comparing any two apprenticeship figures, check (1) which definition, (2) which measure — starts, achievements or completions — and (3) which period — full year or in-year — each refers to. Comparing a full-year hair-and-beauty figure at one end with a hairdressing-only in-year or achievements figure at the other roughly doubles the apparent decline.
Measures and suppression
Starts are new apprenticeships begun in the academic year. Achievements are apprenticeships successfully completed in the year, as recorded in the DfE Apprenticeships release. These differ from the "completions" and "leavers" counted in the DfE Achievement Rate tables, which follow a cohort and are not directly comparable. This page uses starts and achievements from the Apprenticeships release; the Demographics section (Section 4) draws on the Achievement Rate tables and says so.
Values the DfE suppresses as "low" (fewer than 5) are treated as zero. Totals are rounded and may differ slightly from DfE headline figures.
In-year data: the 2025/26 figures are "reported to date" and cover August 2025 to April 2026 only (DfE July 2026 release). They will be revised upward when full-year data is published in November 2026. No percentage change is calculated from them.
1. England: Hairdressing and Barbering Starts (Table A)
| Academic Year | ST0213 Hairdressing Prof. | ST0214 Advanced & Creative Hair | ST1273 Barbering Prof. | Legacy frameworks | Total | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | – | – | – | 16,080 | 16,080 | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 640 | – | – | 14,810 | 15,450 | −630 | −3.9% |
| 2017/18 | 6,220 | – | – | 5,530 | 11,750 | −3,700 | −23.9% |
| 2018/19 | 6,700 | low | low | 3,420 | 10,120 | −1,630 | −13.9% |
| 2019/20 | 5,330 | 30 | low | 1,840 | 7,200 | −2,920 | −28.9% |
| 2020/21 | 5,650 | 810 | low | 90 | 6,550 | −650 | −9.0% |
| 2021/22 | 5,770 | 1,220 | low | 30 | 7,020 | +470 | +7.2% |
| 2022/23 | 4,630 | 1,040 | 30 | low | 5,700 | −1,320 | −18.8% |
| 2023/24 | 5,230 | 1,120 | 410 | low | 6,760 | +1,060 | +18.6% |
| 2024/25 | 4,050 | 870 | 330 | low | 5,250 | −1,510 | −22.3% |
| 2025/26 (Aug–Apr, reported to date) | 2,860 | 830 | 200 | low | 3,890 | n/a | n/a |
Source: Department for Education, Apprenticeships statistics. 2015/16–2018/19 from DfE FOI data-table permalinks (see Methodology); 2019/20–2025/26 from the featured table "Subjects – Starts by occupational route and individual frameworks/standards", Academic year 2025/26 release (published 16 July 2026). Legacy frameworks are Hairdressing and Barbering. "low" = suppressed value under 5, treated as zero.
2015/16 – 2024/25:
- Highest in series: 16,080 (2015/16)
- Lowest full year: 5,250 (2024/25)
- Total change: −10,830 starts (−67.3%)
- Change to 2019/20 alone: −8,880 starts (−55.2%), i.e. 82% of the decade's decline occurred before the pandemic
- Largest single-year falls: 2019/20 (−28.9%), 2017/18 (−23.9%), 2024/25 (−22.3%)
- The only full-year increases in the series were 2021/22 (+7.2%) and 2023/24 (+18.6%)
Recent years:
- 2024/25 is the first full academic year to include the April 2025 change to employer national insurance; starts fell 22.3%, with the fall concentrated in the entry-level ST0213 standard (5,230 to 4,050)
- 2025/26 reported to date (nine months): 3,890 starts, against 5,250 for the whole of 2024/25; ST0214 (830) is close to its 2024/25 full-year figure while ST0213 (2,860) is well below its previous full-year figure
- Employers pay no employer national insurance on apprentices under 25 (or any employee under 21) on earnings up to £50,270; this relief predates April 2025 and was not changed by it. Around three quarters of ST0213 completions are by 16–18 year olds (Section 4)
Framework-to-standard transition
The legacy Hairdressing framework carried almost all starts until 2016/17. Hairdressing Professional (ST0213) took over during 2017/18 and 2018/19; the legacy frameworks are effectively closed from 2020/21. The transition coincides with the introduction of the apprenticeship levy and new funding rules from April 2017, and with the largest single-year fall in the series (2017/18). This table adds frameworks and standards together so the series is continuous across the transition.
2. England: Hair and Beauty Combined Starts (Table B)
| Academic Year | Hairdressing & Barbering (Table A) | Beauty & Nails | Combined | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 16,080 | 2,090 | 18,170 | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 15,450 | 1,880 | 17,330 | −840 | −4.6% |
| 2017/18 | 11,750 | 1,320 | 13,070 | −4,260 | −24.6% |
| 2018/19 | 10,120 | 1,320 | 11,440 | −1,630 | −12.5% |
| 2019/20 | 7,200 | 980 | 8,180 | −3,260 | −28.5% |
| 2020/21 | 6,550 | 650 | 7,200 | −980 | −12.0% |
| 2021/22 | 7,020 | 890 | 7,910 | +710 | +9.9% |
| 2022/23 | 5,700 | 640 | 6,340 | −1,570 | −19.8% |
| 2023/24 | 6,760 | 590 | 7,350 | +1,010 | +15.9% |
| 2024/25 | 5,250 | 480 | 5,730 | −1,620 | −22.0% |
| 2025/26 (Aug–Apr, reported to date) | 3,890 | 260 | 4,150 | n/a | n/a |
Source: as Table A, with beauty standards ST0630, ST0211, ST0636, ST0635 and the legacy Beauty Therapy and Nail Services frameworks added. Theatrical Hair and Wig standards (ST0918) are suppressed ("low") in every year and excluded.
2015/16 – 2024/25:
- Total change: −12,440 starts (−68.5%)
- Beauty and nails fell from 2,090 to 480 (−77.0%) and have never exceeded 12% of the combined total
- This is the series previously published on this page as "hairdressing"; see Corrections
3. England: Achievements, Hairdressing and Barbering
Achievements are apprenticeships successfully completed in the academic year, from the DfE Apprenticeships release. This table replaces the "Completions by Standard" table previously published here, which was drawn from the separate Achievement Rate cohort tables and is not comparable with the starts series above.
| Academic Year | ST0213 Hairdressing Prof. | ST0214 Advanced & Creative Hair | ST1273 Barbering Prof. | Legacy frameworks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019/20 | 1,640 | low | – | 2,040 | 3,680 |
| 2020/21 | 2,400 | low | – | 1,300 | 3,700 |
| 2021/22 | 3,540 | 130 | – | 500 | 4,170 |
| 2022/23 | 3,360 | 520 | low | 40 | 3,920 |
| 2023/24 | 2,850 | 650 | low | low | 3,500 |
| 2024/25 | 2,290 | 680 | 140 | low | 3,110 |
Source: Department for Education, data set "Subjects – Starts, Achievements, Enrolments by Detailed level, and Standard", Academic year 2024/25 release.
- Total hairdressing and barbering achievements peaked at 4,170 in 2021/22 (reflecting the large 2019/20 starts cohort) and fell to 3,110 in 2024/25
- Advanced and Creative Hair Professional (ST0214) achievements rose from 130 (2021/22) to 680 (2024/25) as the standard matured; this replaces the "130 to 640" figure previously published, which came from a different DfE table
- Achievements lag starts by one to three years, so the sharp falls in starts in 2024/25 and 2025/26 will show in achievements from 2026/27 onward
4. Demographics — England
Completions by Age Group — Hairdressing Professional (ST0213)
Source note
This table uses the DfE Achievement Rate tables, which count cohort leavers and completers. The totals therefore differ from the achievements in Section 3 (e.g. 2,900 here vs 2,850 there for 2023/24). The age split is only published in this form, so it is retained here with that caveat. Use it for the age distribution, not for totals.
| Age Group | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | Average % of Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16–18 | 2,720 | 2,360 | 2,230 | 76.3% |
| 19–23 | 610 | 470 | 420 | 15.4% |
| 24+ | 190 | 180 | 130 | 5.1% |
| Not Known | 410 | 170 | 120 | 3.2% |
| TOTAL | 3,930 | 3,180 | 2,900 | 100% |
Source: Department for Education, Apprenticeship Achievement Rates
- 16–18 age group: 75–77% of completions across three years
- 19–23 age group: 13–16%
- 24+ age group: 4–5%
- Around nine in ten hairdressing completers are under 24, and therefore attract no employer national insurance under the existing under-25 apprentice relief
5. Scotland Apprenticeship Data
Skills Development Scotland Modern Apprenticeship statistics, Hairdressing framework only. Not added to the England figures. The 2024/25 SDS figures will be added when verified.
Annual Starts (2015/16 – 2023/24)
| Academic Year | Starts | Year-on-Year Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 967 | – | – |
| 2016/17 | 952 | −15 | −1.6% |
| 2017/18 | 824 | −128 | −13.4% |
| 2018/19 | 827 | +3 | +0.4% |
| 2019/20 | 610 | −217 | −26.2% |
| 2020/21 | 284 | −326 | −53.4% |
| 2021/22 | 589 | +305 | +107.4% |
| 2022/23 | 405 | −184 | −31.2% |
| 2023/24 | 606 | +201 | +49.6% |
Source: Skills Development Scotland, Modern Apprenticeship Statistics
- Highest in series: 967 (2015/16); lowest: 284 (2020/21); most recent: 606 (2023/24)
- Change 2015/16 to 2023/24: −361 starts (−37.3%)
- Change 2020/21 to 2023/24: +322 starts (+113.4%)
Completion Rates
| Year | Hair Completion Rate | All-Sector Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015/16 | 65% | 76% | −11 pts |
| 2016/17 | 67% | 78% | −11 pts |
| 2017/18 | 67% | 78% | −11 pts |
| 2018/19 | 67% | 77% | −10 pts |
| 2019/20 | 64% | 77% | −13 pts |
| 2020/21 | 61% | 76% | −15 pts |
| 2021/22 | 63% | 72% | −9 pts |
| 2022/23 | 70% | 73% | −3 pts |
| 2023/24 | 76% | 76% | 0 pts |
Source: Skills Development Scotland, Modern Apprenticeship Statistics
Data Note
2023/24 is the first year in the series where the hairdressing completion rate (76%) equals the all-sector average. The rate rose 15 percentage points from 2020/21 (61%). Averages by period: 2015/16–2019/20, 66%; 2020/21–2021/22, 62%; 2022/23–2023/24, 73%.
6. Cross-Sector Data — Scotland
Modern Apprenticeship Starts: Selected Sectors
| Sector | 2016/17 | 2023/24 | Change | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hospitality | 2,805 | 678 | −2,127 | −75.8% |
| Retail | 2,018 | 444 | −1,574 | −78.0% |
| Freight Logistics | 1,556 | 1,181 | −375 | −24.1% |
| Hairdressing | 952 | 606 | −346 | −36.3% |
Source: Skills Development Scotland, Modern Apprenticeship Statistics
All four sectors shown fell between 2016/17 and 2023/24, by between 24.1% and 78.0%. Hairdressing's decline in Scotland is smaller than in hospitality or retail.
7. Business Context
For the full sector business data, including the 2009–2025 series, regional tables and methodology, see Business & Economic Data. The headline figures as at the August 2026 update are:
| Measure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Formal businesses (VAT and/or PAYE registered, SIC 96020) | 50,400 (March 2025) | ONS Business Population Estimates |
| Formal business turnover | £6.10bn (March 2025) | ONS Business Population Estimates |
| Consumer spending on hair and beauty | £10.26bn (2025) | ONS Consumer Trends, COICOP 12.1.1 |
| VAT-registered businesses | 14,480 (2023-24) | HMRC FOI2026/87008 |
| Self-employed individuals | 210,000 (2023-24) | HMRC Survey of Personal Incomes |
| PAYE employees | 186,000 (2024-25) | HMRC PAYE RTI |
Classification note
All business, turnover and employment figures above are for SIC 96020, "Hairdressing and other beauty treatment", which cannot be split between hairdressing and beauty. The apprenticeship data on this page can be split, and is: see Definitions.
8. Methodology & Data Sources
England Apprenticeship Data
- Source: Department for Education, Apprenticeships statistics, explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk
- 2015/16 – 2017/18 and 2018/19 – 2023/24: DfE response to our FOI request of 28 July 2025, which directed us to two data-table permalinks covering hairdressing, barbering, beauty therapy, advanced beauty and nail services, by framework/standard and year:
data-tables/permalink/433714a2-f9c2-414a-d464-08ddd5945da0anddata-tables/permalink/8971b74d-1af0-4f35-d465-08ddd5945da0 - 2019/20 – 2024/25 full year and 2025/26 in-year: Academic year 2025/26 release (published 16 July 2026), featured table "Subjects – Starts by occupational route and individual frameworks/standards", filtered to the standards and frameworks listed in Definitions
- Achievements: Academic year 2024/25 release (published 27 November 2025, updated 29 January 2026), data set "Subjects – Starts, Achievements, Enrolments by Detailed level, and Standard"
- Age split: DfE Apprenticeship Achievement Rate tables (cohort basis; see Section 4 note)
- Suppression: DfE suppresses values under 5 as "low"; treated as zero in totals
- DfE caveat: the period covers varying COVID-19 restrictions which affected learning and provider reporting via the Individualised Learner Record; extra care should be taken when comparing academic years
Scotland Apprenticeship Data
- Source: Skills Development Scotland, Modern Apprenticeship Statistics, skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk
- Classification: Hairdressing Modern Apprenticeship framework
This data does not show
- Informal or off-framework training arrangements
- Apprenticeship vacancies advertised (separate DfE data set; not yet analysed here)
- Number of training providers delivering each standard (separate DfE data set; not yet analysed here)
- Reasons or causes for changes in apprenticeship numbers
Data Verification
Every England figure on this page can be reproduced in the DfE table tool using the standard codes and years given. The FOI permalinks return downloadable CSVs. Scotland figures are in SDS's published annual statistics. If you find an error, email the address below; corrections are dated and published in Section 9, not silently edited.
9. Corrections and Change Log
5 September 2026 — Correction and restructure
- Label correction. The England starts series previously headed "Hairdressing" (18,170 in 2015/16 to 7,350 in 2023/24) was in fact hairdressing, barbering, beauty and nails combined, as returned by the DfE to our FOI request of 28 July 2025. The page now shows hairdressing and barbering only as Table A (16,080 to 5,250, 2015/16 to 2024/25) and the combined series as Table B. The page title and metadata have been changed accordingly.
- Figure revisions to the combined series, to match the DfE's current tables: 2017/18, 13,010 → 13,070; 2018/19, 11,390 → 11,440; 2019/20, 8,140 → 8,180; 2020/21, 6,900 → 7,200. Other years unchanged.
- Data added: 2024/25 full-year starts and achievements; 2025/26 in-year starts (August 2025 to April 2026), labelled as such.
- Completions table replaced. The former "Completions by Apprenticeship Standard" table used the DfE Achievement Rate cohort tables. It has been replaced by an achievements series from the Apprenticeships release (Section 3), which is on the same basis as the starts. The headline "Advanced Hair Professional completions 130 → 640 (2021/22 to 2023/24)" is withdrawn; the achievements series gives 130 → 680 (2021/22 to 2024/25).
- Demographics table retained with an explicit note that it is on the Achievement Rate cohort basis.
- Business context updated to the August 2026 figures on the Business & Economic Data page, including the corrected consumer spending classification (COICOP 12.1.1, £10.26bn) and the 2023-24 VAT registration count (14,480). The former "390,000 total employment" table, which mixed sources, has been removed in favour of the separately sourced self-employed and PAYE figures.
- Scotland figures unchanged; 2024/25 SDS data to be added when verified.
August 2025 — First published
- England series 2015/16 to 2023/24 from DfE FOI permalinks; Scotland series from SDS; completions and demographics from DfE Achievement Rate tables.