The Parker Review Committee has released the 2025 results of its latest voluntary census of the ethnic diversity of the boards of FTSE 350 companies and 50 of the UK’s largest private companies, carried out jointly with the Department for Business and Trade, and sponsored by EY.
The voluntary census shows that 98 of the 100 FTSE 100 companies had at least one ethnic minority director on their Board as at 31 December 2025, a record level and a significant increase from 47 companies when the Review began its work in 2015. Across the FTSE 100:
- Ethnic minorities now hold 20 per cent of all directorships (208 out of 1,063 board positions), up from 19 per cent in 2024.
- There are 14 ethnic minority CEOs, eight Chairs and nine CFOs – collectively the highest representation recorded to date.
- 56 companies have two or more ethnic minority directors on their Boards.
In the FTSE 250, 205 companies have at least one director from a minority ethnic background, representing 82 per cent of the FTSE 250 and 89 per cent of those reporting. Ethnic minorities now hold 16 per cent of all FTSE 250 board seats, up from 15 per cent in 2024.
Of the 50 private companies invited to participate in the Review, 36 provided their board data. 21 of the 50 companies (42 per cent) currently meet the 2027 board target, down from 48 per cent in 2024.
The Review remains concerned about progress among the UK’s 50 largest private companies. With two years remaining until the December 2027 deadline, the Review encourages greater engagement and faster progress among private businesses.
The Review continues to track UK-based senior management, recognising its importance in building the pipeline for future board leadership. As at December 2025:
- Ethnic minorities represent on average 11 per cent of UK-based senior management in the FTSE 100 and 10 per cent in the FTSE 250, and the large private companies.
- Among companies setting 2027 targets, the average target is 15 per cent in the FTSE 100, 13 per cent in the FTSE 250, and 15 per cent among private companies.
The 2026 Report highlights a particular concern regarding representation of the Black community, where progress has slowed relative to other ethnic minority groups. In the FTSE 100, Black directors now hold 2.3 per cent of directorships, compared with 3.9 per cent of the UK population aged 30-69 and Black representation in UK-based senior management stands at 1.3 per cent, down slightly from 1.5 per cent in 2024.
There is also uneven progress for women from ethnic minority backgrounds in executive and management roles. Women comprise 49 per cent of ethnic minority directors in the FTSE 100 and 49 per cent in the FTSE 250, indicating balanced representation at board level. However, this progress is not yet reflected in the most senior executive roles, as none of the 14 FTSE 100 ethnic minority CEOs are women.
Within senior management, ethnic minority women represent 42 per cent of minority ethnic senior managers in the FTSE 100, 41 per cent in the FTSE 250, and 40 per cent in large private companies, suggesting that further progress will be needed to strengthen the pipeline into the most senior leadership positions.
“I am pleased to say that 98 of the FTSE 100 companies had at least one ethnic minority director in December 2025 – a record high,” said David Tyler, Chair of the Parker Review Committee. “We have moved a long way from just 47 FTSE 100 companies being in this position when we started our work in 2015. Directors from a minority ethnic background now hold 20 per cent of FTSE 100 board positions, including 14 CEOs. Again, this is a record number.
“We are pleased to note that the engagement of the business community with the Parker Review on ethnic diversity has shown no decline despite headwinds from across the Atlantic. The ethnic diversity of the UK workforce has increased significantly over the last 25 years and will continue to do so over the next quarter century. Companies realise that they need to respond to this by recruiting and retaining talented people in the minority ethnic communities to ensure that they remain competitive.”
