(NewsNation) — In the first half of 2025, over 2,000 UFO sightings have been reported, as per the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) statistics.

This nonprofit gathers and examines cases related to unexplained phenomena. The reported 2,174 sightings this year show an increase compared to past years. In 2024, there were 1,492 sightings logged from January through June, while in 2023, 2,077 sightings were recorded during the same period.

UFO sightings in 2025

NUFORC has received over 3,000 reports in the first six months of 2025. However, the organization notes that due to the stigma associated with UFOs, many of these sightings occurred years or even decades before they were ultimately reported.

Those numbers likely only represent a small number of actual sightings, said Christian Stepien, the group’s chief technology officer. Based on anecdotal evidence, he believes roughly 5% of sightings get reported.

The group takes reports from everyday citizens as well as air traffic controllers, police and members of the military.

Interest in UFOs after David Grusch testimony

The topic of UFOs (or UAPs, if you’re talking to the U.S. government) has been in the headlines recently as lawmakers have pushed for more transparency on the subject.

Whistleblower David Grusch came forward in 2023, alleging a secret UFO-retrieval program was being operated by the Pentagon. His testimony sparked congressional hearings and increased public attention to the issue of unexplained sightings.

Since then, others connected with the government have come forward to support Grusch’s claims, saying the Defense Department has not been honest with the public or Congress about the subject.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has remained firm in saying that there is no evidence unexplained sightings are extraterrestrial in nature and disavowing the existence of UFO-retrieval programs.

Recent reporting from The Wall Street Journal suggested the agency itself may be behind long-standing rumors of alien technology as part of efforts to cover up Earth-based top-secret projects. The reporting also noted that new employees in some offices were hazed with tales of secret UFO research, potentially the source of information presented by whistleblowers.

Many remain unconvinced by government denials, including lawmakers who are continuing to advocate for more transparency about unexplained sightings, regardless of whether they originate with nonhuman intelligence or are human-made.

“There are so many things being seen by so many people. And if it’s a secret block project, you’re not flying it over highly populated neighborhoods where everybody can see it, and even these days, have pictures of it,” Stepien said.

NUFORC sees wide range of UFO sightings

Cases being investigated by NUFORC range from detailed descriptions to brief notes, with some explained by known objects, including balloons, drones and planets or stars.

“We get lots of reports of balloons and things like that that we can say that’s clearly a balloon, or that’s a drone, or it’s an airplane or whatever it is,” Stepien said.

Stepien said around 3% of the reports the group gets end up being of high interest.

“The dramatic ones are kind of the cases where you say somebody saw a giant triangle floating over their house the size of a tennis court or a football field,” he said. “And we get those reports fairly regularly, things that can’t possibly be mistaken for something else.”

The group notes that reports include an array of shapes, including triangles, discs, orbs, cigars and forms that appear to change. Many of the sightings include reports of craft displaying agility or other capabilities not expected from human technology.

Going forward, Stepien said the group hopes to continue to collect reports of sightings and to get more transparency from the government, especially data collected from advanced technology.

“The government certainly has the good stuff,” he said. “These days with cellphones and things like that, we’re starting to get some nice videos and things, but we don’t have high resolution cameras and forward-looking infrared and that kind of stuff.”