How many employees work at British Council?
The British Council has approximately 16,301 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. British Council’s total headcount has declined 4.3% from 17,026 employees in 2023 to 16,301 in 2026.
Is British Council hiring right now?
Yes, British Council is actively hiring. British Council had 176 active job postings in 2026, a 14.7% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About British Council’s Workforce
The British Council is a Professional and Trade Associations company that employs 16,301 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 4th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1934, the company is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom.
British Council's workforce has declined 4.3% from 2023 to 2026, down 2.6% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 16,301 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in South Asia (25.6%), followed by North Africa (10.4%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (9.5%).
British Council's functional groups are Finance and Operations (46.3%), Engineering (29.5%), and Sales and Marketing (24.3%), with Finance and Operations growing fastest (up 0.8%). The average salary is $21,936, ranging from a median of $56,000 in Northern Europe to $5,000 in South Asia, down 1.9% year over year in 2026.
British Council's active job postings fell 14.7% in 2026 to 176, with new postings per month cooling from 271 in 2023 to 137 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Manchester, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1934
- Industry
- Professional and Trade Associations
- Employees
- 16,301
- YoY
- -2.6% (-643)
As of March 2026
British Council workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for British Council. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsBritish Council Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- British Council had 16,301 employees in 2026, a 2.6% decline (-643) from 2025.
- British Council had 16,349 employees in 2025, a 2.8% decline (-640) from 2024.
- British Council had 16,989 employees in 2024, a 1.7% decline (-356) from 2023.
- British Council had 17,345 employees in 2023, a 1.0% increase (+340) from 2022.
British Council's total workforce has declined from 17,026 employees in 2023 to 16,301 in 2026. British Council's headcount peaked at 17,658 in 2024.
The British Council quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 16,301 | -643 | -2.6% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 16,349 | -640 | -2.8% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 16,484 | -792 | -3.3% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 16,462 | -631 | -3.1% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 16,944 | -714 | -3.4% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 16,989 | -356 | -1.7% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 17,276 | -203 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 17,093 | +67 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 17,658 | +336 | +1.7% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 17,345 | +340 | +1.0% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 17,479 | +452 | +0.9% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 17,026 | +278 | +0.1% |
See British Council's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataBritish Council Employee Count by Region (2026)
South Asia accounts for the largest share of British Council's global workforce with approximately 26% of total employees, followed by North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
British Council employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| South Asia | 4,130 | 25.6% |
| North Africa | 1,683 | 10.4% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 1,526 | 9.5% |
| Northern Europe | 1,454 | 9.0% |
| Arab States | 1,340 | 8.3% |
| Southeast Asia | 1,279 | 7.9% |
| Southern Europe | 1,267 | 7.9% |
| East Asia | 921 | 5.7% |
| Eastern Europe | 664 | 4.1% |
| Central and Western Asia | 542 | 3.4% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataBritish Council Employee Count by Department (2026)
British Council's employee groups are Finance and Operations (46.3%), Engineering (29.5%), and Sales and Marketing (24.3%).
British Council employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 7,437 | 46.3% |
| Engineering | 4,735 | 29.5% |
| Sales and Marketing | 3,902 | 24.3% |
Compare British Council's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataBritish Council Employee Salary by Region (2026)
British Council's average employee salary is $21,936 globally. Employees in Northern Europe receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 2.6x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $5,000.
British Council median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pacific Islands | $62,000 |
| Northern Europe | $56,000 |
| North America | $53,000 |
| Western Europe | $35,000 |
| East Asia | $28,000 |
| Arab States | $25,000 |
| Southern Europe | $25,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $20,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $16,000 |
| South America | $12,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $11,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $10,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $9,000 |
| North Africa | $7,000 |
| South Asia | $5,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to British Council's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataBritish Council Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- British Council had 176 active job postings in 2026, a 14.7% decline (-23) from 2025.
- British Council had 199 active job postings in 2025, a 47.5% decline (-124) from 2024.
- British Council had 323 active job postings in 2024, a 7.1% increase (+22) from 2023.
- British Council had 301 active job postings in 2023, a 21.6% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 137 new roles/month, down from 214 in 2025 and 317 in 2024.
British Council's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 14.7% in 2026 to 176, with new postings per month cooling from 271 in 2023 to 137 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataBritish Council Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across British Council's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has improved year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About British Council
- How fast is British Council growing?
- In 2026, British Council's headcount shrank 2.6% to 16,301 employees, down from 16,944 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are British Council employees located?
- Most British Council employees are based in South Asia (25.6% of headcount), followed by North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at British Council?
- The average employee salary at British Council is approximately $21.9k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does British Council open per year?
- In Q1 2026, British Council opened 411 new job postings. In 2025, British Council opened 2,573 new job postings — about 214 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was British Council founded and where is it headquartered?
- British Council was founded in 1934 and is headquartered in Manchester, United Kingdom.
- Compare British Council to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about British Council.
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