The Pentagon said an estimated 20,492 US military members experienced sexual assault during fiscal year 2025, according to an annual report released Friday. The survey-based estimate covers active-duty women and men and is not the same as the number of formal complaints submitted to military authorities. The report was issued as required by Congress and included findings from the 2025 Workplace and Gender Relations Survey.

The survey measures unwanted sexual contact, sexual harassment and gender discrimination, including experiences that may not have been formally reported. Estimated sexual-harassment rates among active-duty women declined from 24.7 percent in 2023 to 17.5 percent in 2025. Among men, the rate fell from 5.8 percent to 4.4 percent. Meanwhile, the estimated share of incidents reported to authorities rose from 25 percent in 2023 to 33 percent in 2025.

Pentagon officials said reporting helps connect victims with medical, mental-health and other recovery services, while enabling investigations and accountability. Under Secretary Anthony J. Tata said sexual assault and harassment undermine military values, trust and readiness. The Pentagon did not release branch-level figures, detailed victim demographics or the number of disciplinary actions in Friday’s announcement.