Archive · 22 Aug 2026
Pentagon Reports Decline in US Military Sexual Assault
The Pentagon says fewer military members experienced unwanted sexual contact in fiscal 2025 than in earlier years.
About 20,492 people were estimated to have experienced it.
The rates fell for both women and men on active duty.
Reports of sexual harassment also decreased.
The Pentagon received 7,998 official reports in 2025.
However, surveys count experiences that people may never officially report.
About one-third of estimated incidents were disclosed through official processes in 2025, compared with one-quarter in 2023.
Officials say reporting can help victims receive care and allow authorities to investigate.
Even with the decline, sexual assault remains a serious problem in the military.
An estimated 20,492 US military personnel experienced unwanted sexual contact in fiscal 2025, about 8,500 fewer than in 2023.
Among active-duty women, the estimated rate fell from 6.8% in 2023 to 4.3% in 2025; among men, it fell from 1.3% to 1%.
Estimated sexual-harassment rates declined from 24.7% to 17.5% for women and from 5.8% to 4.4% for men.
The Pentagon received 7,998 official sexual-assault reports in 2025, down from 8,195 in 2024 and 8,515 in 2023.
The estimated share of incidents disclosed through official processes rose from 25% in 2023 to 33% in 2025.
- Who
- US military personnel, the Pentagon, the Department of War, and Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata.
- What
- The Pentagon reported declines in estimated unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment, and official sexual-assault reports during fiscal 2025.
- When
- Fiscal 2025, compared with fiscal 2023 and, for official reports, fiscal 2024; the report was released Friday, August 21.
- Where
- The United States military; the announcement came from Washington.
- Why
- The annual report and anonymous survey measure the scope of sexual assault and harassment, including incidents not formally reported, and assess prevention, support, reporting, and accountability efforts.
Evidence of Progress
Continuing Serious Concern
Declining prevalence
Evidence of Progress
The Pentagon reported lower estimated rates of unwanted sexual contact and sexual harassment among active-duty women and men, continuing a decline seen in the previous survey.
Continuing Serious Concern
An estimated 20,492 personnel still experienced unwanted sexual contact in fiscal 2025, showing that sexual assault remains a significant military problem.
Official reports
Evidence of Progress
Official reports fell from 8,515 in 2023 to 7,998 in 2025, while the proportion of estimated incidents disclosed through official processes increased from 25% to 33%.
Continuing Serious Concern
The number of official reports does not fully measure the problem because the survey is designed to capture incidents that were never reported through military channels.
Reporting and accountability
Evidence of Progress
The Pentagon said greater reporting can connect affected service members with medical, psychological, and restorative care and help authorities investigate allegations and hold offenders accountable.
Continuing Serious Concern
The announcement did not provide service-by-service or demographic details, the number of disciplinary actions, or a complete explanation of the difference between estimated victims and official reports.
- Estimated affected personnel
- 20,492 military personnel experienced unwanted sexual contact in fiscal 2025, about 8,500 fewer than in 2023.
- Active-duty women
- The estimated rate fell from 6.8% in fiscal 2023 to 4.3% in fiscal 2025.
- Active-duty men
- The estimated rate fell from 1.3% in fiscal 2023 to 1% in fiscal 2025.
- Sexual-harassment rates
- The estimated rate fell from 24.7% to 17.5% among women and from 5.8% to 4.4% among men.
- Official reports
- The Pentagon received 7,998 official sexual-assault reports in fiscal 2025, compared with 8,195 in 2024 and 8,515 in 2023.
- Reporting proportion
- The estimated share of incidents disclosed through official processes rose from 25% in 2023 to 33% in 2025.
- Report basis
- The findings came from the fiscal 2025 Annual Report on Sexual Assault in the Military and the 2025 Workplace Experiences Survey.
