According to The Daily Telegraph, the MoD employs proportionately more civilians than any of the other 27 countries which make up the Western alliance.

Meanwhile, figures released under the Freedom of Information Act showed the MoD spent more than £61 million last year on public relations.

It included £55.2 million on publicity and advertising, £2 million on employing 35 press officers and five support staff at MoD headquarters, and £3.9 million on employing 68 marketing and external communications staff.

The MoD said its total of 85,730 civil servants - compared to 174,030 trained military personnel - included many specialists such as scientists, engineers and intelligence analysts as well as bureaucrats.

However, shadow defence secretary Liam Fox said it was clear too much was being spent on administration.

“It is essential that our defence spending supports our military capability,” he said.

“We can’t afford to carry the burden of a bloated administration at a time when troops on the frontline face shortages.

“We cannot have a situation where the armed forces are at war but Whitehall is not.”

The MoD said the number of civil servants had fallen sharply from a total of 109,000 four years ago.

“The civilian workforce of the MoD provides vital support for the armed forces on the frontline and many of their skills are not available within the services,” a spokesman said.

“The 85,730 staff includes intelligence analysts, MoD police officers and scientists and engineers developing equipment to protect our forces. Many of them have deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan in key roles.

“We have taken steps to reduce the civilian workforce wherever we can do so without putting troops at risk, and the total number of civil servants has fallen by 23,000 since 2005.”