The Pentagon recorded 7,998 sexual assault reports in fiscal 2025, continuing a three-year decline from the 8,942 reports filed in 2022, while survey data also showed fewer enlisted service members reporting unwanted sexual contact.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Reports of sexual assault across the U.S. military declined for the third consecutive year in fiscal 2025, according to a Pentagon assessment that also found decreases in sexual harassment complaints and the estimated number of service members experiencing unwanted sexual contact.
The Pentagon publicly released its fiscal 2025 annual report Friday after transmitting it to Congress on Aug. 10.
The military received 7,998 reports of sexual assault during 2025, down from 8,195 in 2024.
That continued a downward trend from 8,515 reports in 2023 and 8,942 in 2022.
The annual review is required under Section 1631 of the 2011 Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act and tracks sexual assault and harassment across the armed forces.
Sexual harassment complaints also declined during the latest reporting period.
The Pentagon recorded 2,936 sexual harassment complaints in 2025, compared with 3,014 in 2024.
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata said maintaining discipline and trust throughout the military requires confronting both sexual assault and harassment.
“Dignity, respect and discipline are foundational to the warrior ethos and the overall preparedness of the force,” Tata said in a statement. “Sexual assault and sexual harassment undermine these values, eroding trust and threatening the mission.
“The [fiscal year] 2025 report underscores our ongoing commitment to maintaining high standards, protecting our people, and building a unified, ready and lethal fighting force,” he added.
Of the 7,998 sexual assault reports recorded during fiscal 2025, 5,022 were classified as unrestricted reports.
Another 2,976 remained restricted at the end of the year.
An unrestricted report is disclosed to the chain of command and can lead to an official investigation while allowing the service member to receive mental health care and legal assistance, according to The Hill.
Restricted reporting allows service members to seek certain support services without immediately initiating the same command-level investigative process.
Beyond the number of formal reports, the Pentagon also examined how many troops said they had experienced unwanted sexual contact.
Results from the military’s “2025 Workplace Experiences Survey,” included in the annual report, showed declines among both enlisted women and enlisted men compared with fiscal 2023.
Among enlisted women, 4.3% reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact in 2025, down from 6.8% in 2023.
Among enlisted men, the rate declined from 1.3% in 2023 to 1.0% in 2025.
Based on the survey estimates, the Pentagon calculated that approximately 20,492 service members experienced some form of unwanted sexual contact during 2025.
That estimate was about 8,500 service members lower than the comparable figure for 2023.
The formal reporting totals and survey estimates measure different aspects of the issue. The annual number of reports reflects cases brought into the military reporting system, while the workplace survey is used to estimate the prevalence of unwanted sexual contact among the broader force.
Both measures moved downward in the latest assessment.
The fiscal 2025 figures extend a decline in formal sexual assault reports that began after the 2022 total of 8,942, falling to 8,515 in 2023, 8,195 in 2024 and 7,998 in 2025.
Pentagon officials said the results support continued efforts to prevent sexual misconduct while maintaining accountability, victim services and military readiness.
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