The Pentagon released an annual review on Friday stating that both official reports and estimated occurrences of sexual assault in the U.S. military decreased during fiscal year 2025. This marks the third consecutive year that official reports have declined. The findings are based on a congressionally mandated report that includes data from an anonymous survey conducted every two years to assess the prevalence of unwanted sexual conduct among service members.
The report follows a period of higher recorded rates in 2021, when prevalence reached 8.4% for women and 1.6% for men. The Department of Defense uses the biennial anonymous survey to capture a broader picture of the problem, as many incidents do not result in formal complaints. Pentagon officials stated that the department is working to encourage reporting to ensure victims receive care and to hold offenders accountable.
According to the data, the percentage of active-duty women reporting unwanted sexual contact fell to 4.3% in fiscal year 2025, down from 6.8% in 2023. For active-duty men, the rate dropped from 1.3% to 1%. During fiscal year 2025, the Pentagon received 7,998 official reports of sexual assault involving service members as either victims or offenders, a decrease from 8,195 in 2024 and 8,515 in 2023. Despite the drop in total incidents, the reporting rate—the percentage of estimated victims who file official reports—rose from 25% in 2023 to 33% in 2025.
The data suggests a change in the day-to-day culture regarding personal safety and discipline within the ranks. Under Secretary of Defense Anthony J. Tata stated that sexual assault undermines "readiness" and "erodes trust," which can impact how units function during missions. By increasing the reporting rate to 33%, the Pentagon aims to connect more individuals with "restorative care," which includes medical and psychological services provided through military channels. The decrease in estimated assaults may lead to future policy adjustments or changes in how the military allocates resources for prevention and victim advocacy programs.
The report establishes a three-year trend of declining reports, providing a benchmark for Defense Department leadership and Congress to evaluate current prevention strategies. While the total number of official reports fell by 197 cases between 2024 and 2025, the Pentagon indicated it views the rising reporting percentage as a positive indicator of victim trust in the system. Further scrutiny of these figures is expected from lawmakers, as the report was published online rather than through the traditional spring press briefing. The next sets of data and any subsequent policy responses will depend on the results of the next biennial survey and the fiscal year 2026 annual report.