All Fermi answers
Fermi #84 · Question 2

In September 2025, how many fully qualified driving instructors were on the official register in Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales)?

Explore the official answer and the simple reasoning behind this Fermi estimate.

2QUESTION 2 OF 3

Answer & explanation

The official answer, with Fermi’s reasoning step by step.

Answer & explanation

Official answer

43,300

instructors

How to estimate it

Fermi’s official “Napkin math”

The easiest place to start is Great Britain's population, about 65 million. How many instructors does a town keep busy? A town of 10,000 might have five, which is one for every 2,000 people.

Great Britain population
65,000,000
One instructor per 2,000 people
÷ 2,000
65M ÷ 2,000
≈ 32,500

Rounded assumptions may give a slightly different estimate. The official answer above is the game’s reference value.

Source calculation & reference
Approved driving instructors on the DVSA register, Great Britain, Sep 2025
= 43,334
Same register a year earlier, Sep 2024
41,453
Fully qualified instructors, Sep 2025
≈ 43,300

Reference cited by Fermi: DVSA register figures in a Lords written answer: 43,334 in Great Britain, Sep 2025

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