Reports of sexual assault across the U.S. military declined for the third consecutive year in 2025, while sexual harassment complaints also dipped slightly compared with the previous year, according to a Pentagon report released Friday.
The Defense Department received 7,998 sexual assault reports in 2025, down from 8,195 in 2024. The figure has declined each year since reaching 8,942 reports in 2022, followed by 8,515 in 2023.
Of the reports filed last year, 5,022 were unrestricted, while 2,976 remained restricted at the end of fiscal 2025. Unrestricted reports are provided to the chain of command and result in an official investigation while allowing service members to receive mental health care and legal assistance.
“Dignity, respect and discipline are foundational to the warrior ethos and the overall preparedness of the force,” Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata said. “Sexual assault and sexual harassment undermine these values, eroding trust and threatening the mission.”
The Pentagon also received 2,936 sexual harassment complaints in 2025, down from 3,014 the previous year.
The annual report, required under the 2011 Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act, was delivered Aug. 10 to the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and Veterans Affairs panels.
Among female service members, the Marine Corps reported the highest percentage experiencing unwanted sexual contact at 6.4%, followed by the Navy at 5.1%, Army at 4.5% and Air Force at 2.8%.
Among men, the Navy recorded the highest rate at 1.5%, while the Army and Marine Corps were both at 1%.
Overall, the Pentagon estimated that unwanted sexual contact among active-duty women dropped from 6.8% in 2023 to 4.3% in 2025. About one-third of victims reported their incidents last year, up from one-quarter in 2023.
The department said the statistically significant decline was driven largely by decreases among enlisted women, junior female officers and women 35 and younger.
About 1% of active-duty men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact, compared with 1.3% in 2023.
An estimated 20,492 active-duty service members — 9,860 women and 10,632 men — experienced unwanted sexual contact in 2025, down from 29,061 in 2023. Outside groups noted, however, that the 2025 estimate remained nearly 40% higher than the 14,900 recorded in 2016 and was roughly equal to 2018’s 20,500.
The Pentagon said there was sufficient evidence to pursue disciplinary action in 1,321 cases involving individuals investigated for sexual assault allegations.
Josh Connolly of Protect Our Defenders cautioned against taking the declining numbers at “face value,” arguing that survivors have become more reluctant to report incidents.
“A number that falls because people stopped talking is not progress,” Connolly said.
Connolly also criticized how reported cases are handled, claiming many go nowhere and that evidence can be lost or unused.
The Navy halted sexual assault prevention and response training early last year, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in October that he would revamp Pentagon offices that allowed service members to anonymously submit whistleblower complaints.
[READ MORE: Navy Reportedly Weighs Naming Aircraft Carrier for Trump Instead of Pearl Harbor Hero Doris Miller]
