Both formal sexual assault reports and the Pentagon’s estimated count of sexual assaults across the U.S. military fell in fiscal year 2025, according to the Defense Department’s annual sexual assault report released Friday.
The findings draw in part from a confidential survey conducted every two years, in which service members are asked whether they have experienced unwanted sexual contact or sexual harassment. Pentagon officials use that anonymous feedback to better understand the true scope of sexual misconduct within the ranks, beyond cases that are formally reported.
Among active-duty women, 4.3% reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact in fiscal 2025, down from 6.8% in fiscal 2023. For active-duty men, the rate also edged lower, falling from 1.3% to 1% over the same period.
The latest survey marks the second consecutive decline in estimated prevalence, following notably higher figures in 2021, when 8.4% of women and 1.6% of men said they had experienced unwanted sexual contact.
The Pentagon recorded 7,998 official sexual assault reports in fiscal year 2025 involving service members as either victims or alleged offenders. That number was down from 8,195 reports in 2024 and 8,515 in 2023.
At the same time, the share of victims who came forward increased, with the reporting rate rising from 25% in fiscal 2023 to 33% in fiscal 2025. Defense officials framed that increase as a positive sign, saying it suggests more victims may feel able to seek help and report abuse.
“The Department continues to encourage greater reporting to connect warfighters with vital restorative care and enable leadership to hold offenders appropriately accountable,” the Pentagon said in a news release issued alongside the report.
Overall, the Defense Department estimated that 20,492 service members were affected by sexual assault in fiscal year 2025. Of those, 6,843 filed official reports, according to the Pentagon’s review.
“Dignity, respect, and discipline are foundational to the warrior ethos and the overall preparedness of the force. Sexual assault and sexual harassment undermine these values, eroding trust and threatening the mission,” Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata said in a statement.
The congressionally mandated report, which in the past has been released in the spring with a briefing for reporters to ask questions, was published online by the Pentagon on Friday.
