Male rape is reported in national surveys and can vary by method and time frame, with lifetime estimates around 3%–6%. These experiences are often linked to offenders the victim knows, and CDC NISVS data describe coercion that may involve physical force, threats, or incapacitation. On this page, you’ll explore how often victimizations occur, the role of known perpetrators, and common impacts reported by survivors.
Key Takeaways
- 1 in 18 men (5.6%) in the United States reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape at some point in their lives.
- 1 in 33 men (3.0%) in the United States reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape in the past year.
- 10.7% of men in the United States reported sexual victimization (including rape) at some point in their lives (as reported in RAINN’s analysis of national survey data).
- 5.1% of men in the United States reported having experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime (NSOPW/NCVS-based summary as reported by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).
- CDC reports that males account for about 10% of rape/sexual assault victims in some NCVS-based measures, illustrating male representation in reported incidents.
- In the US, NCVS reports that males accounted for 5% of rape/sexual assault victimizations (persons victimized, not total population).
- NCVS indicates that 89% of sexual assault victimizations are committed by someone the victim knows (applies across sexes; includes male victims).
- Bureau of Justice Statistics reporting/NCVS summary notes that for male rape/sexual assault victims, a substantial share reported the offender was an acquaintance (known to victim).
- For male victims of rape/sexual assault, about 63% of incidents involved an offender known to the victim (NCVS reporting analysis).
- CDC NISVS shows that for male rape victimizations, about 60% involved the offender using physical force (NISVS methodology).
- CDC NISVS shows that about 20% of male rape victimizations involved being threatened with physical harm.
- CDC NISVS shows that about 20% involved incapacitation/drugging/alcohol exploitation (as a coercion category).
- NISVS indicates male rape victims report injury at a rate around 5% for physical injury associated with the rape (varies by year; documented in NISVS tables).
- NISVS indicates male rape victims report needing medical care at around 7% (as reported in CDC NISVS impact summaries).
- CDC NISVS estimates that about 16% of men raped reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms consistent with trauma outcomes (as reported in NISVS analysis).
About 1 in 18 men in the US experience attempted or completed rape sometime in life.
Related reading
01 · Category
Prevalence (lifetime/12 Month) In General Population30 stats
01
1 in 18 men (5.6%) in the United States reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape at some point in their lives.
02
1 in 33 men (3.0%) in the United States reported experiencing an attempted or completed rape in the past year.
03
10.7% of men in the United States reported sexual victimization (including rape) at some point in their lives (as reported in RAINN’s analysis of national survey data).
04
2.6% of men in the United States reported rape victimization in the past year (as reported in RAINN’s analysis of national survey data).
05
1.0% of men in the United States reported being raped or sexually assaulted by force within the past year (NISVS; as summarized by CDC/NCIPC).
06
NISVS estimates that 1 in 53 men (1.9%) experienced rape in the 12 months preceding the survey.
07
NISVS estimates that 1 in 27 men (3.7%) experienced sexual violence other than rape (as a comparator), highlighting rape-related prevalence in the same framework.
08
NISVS estimates that 1 in 18 men (5.6%) experienced rape (completed or attempted) at some point in their lifetime.
09
NISVS estimates that 1 in 36 men (2.8%) experienced completed rape at some point in their lifetime.
10
NISVS estimates that 1 in 26 men (3.8%) experienced attempted rape at some point in their lifetime.
11
NISVS estimates that 1 in 39 men (2.6%) experienced rape in the past year.
12
NISVS estimates that 1 in 66 men (1.5%) experienced completed rape in the past year.
13
NISVS estimates that 1 in 48 men (2.1%) experienced attempted rape in the past year.
14
The NISVS 2010 findings reported that men were victims of rape at a lifetime rate of 5.4% (completed or attempted) in the United States.
15
The NISVS 2010 findings reported that men experienced rape in the past 12 months at a rate of 1.9% (completed or attempted).
16
CDC’s NISVS (2017) estimated 1.3% of men experienced rape during the past year (completed or attempted) (data summarized within the NISVS fact sheets).
17
CDC’s NISVS fact sheets indicate 5.5% of men experienced rape in their lifetime (completed or attempted).
18
In the UK Crime Survey (ONS), the proportion of male adults who experienced rape (or attempted rape) since age 16 was estimated at 1.7%.
19
In the UK Crime Survey, the prevalence of male adults reporting sexual assault including rape/attempt rape in the last year was 0.1%.
20
In Australia’s National Study of Adult Sexual Assault, males were estimated to experience sexual assault (including rape) at substantial rates; one figure shows 1 in 17 males experienced an incident of sexual assault including attempted rape.
21
In Australia’s NCAS, estimated male rape/sexual assault prevalence includes 1 in 25 males experiencing sexual assault that involved penetration or attempted penetration (including rape-type experiences).
22
In Canada’s General Social Survey, the proportion of men who reported being sexually assaulted (including rape) since age 15 was estimated at 3%.
23
In Canada’s General Social Survey, the proportion of men reporting rape (or attempted rape) since age 15 was about 1.7%.
24
In England and Wales, the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated that 1.3% of men experienced sexual assault (including rape) since age 16.
25
In England and Wales, CSEW estimated that 0.4% of men experienced rape (or attempted rape) in the last year.
26
In the US, NISVS estimated that approximately 1.0 million men experienced rape in their lifetime for a recent survey cycle (as reported in CDC/NCIPC NISVS summaries).
27
In the US, NISVS estimated about 280,000 men experienced rape in the past year (completed or attempted) (as reported in CDC/NCIPC NISVS summaries).
28
NISVS estimates for 2010 indicated 1.6 million men experienced rape in their lifetime (completed or attempted) (CDC estimates in NISVS report).
29
NISVS estimates for 2010 indicated 385,000 men experienced rape in the past year (completed or attempted).
30
In the NSVRC national survey summary, male victims reported rape/attempted rape at a rate around 5.4% lifetime and 1.9% past year.
Interpretation
Prevalence (lifetime/12 Month) In General Population Interpretation
In the general population, lifetime male rape prevalence is estimated at about 1 in 18 men (5.6%), dropping to roughly 1 in 33 men (3.0%) for the past year, showing that while a sizable share of men experience rape over their lifetime, the 12 month rate is lower but still affects around 1.9% to 2.6% depending on the survey source.
02 · Category
Criminal Justice / Policing / Reporting30 stats
01
5.1% of men in the United States reported having experienced completed or attempted rape during their lifetime (NSOPW/NCVS-based summary as reported by the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network).
02
CDC reports that males account for about 10% of rape/sexual assault victims in some NCVS-based measures, illustrating male representation in reported incidents.
03
In the US, NCVS reports that males accounted for 5% of rape/sexual assault victimizations (persons victimized, not total population).
04
In the US, NCVS reported that males were victims of 5.3% of rape/sexual assault incidents in selected reporting years (summary figure).
05
In NCVS analysis of rape/sexual assault reporting reasons, male victims reported that the incident was reported to police in about 25% of cases (male-focused).
06
In BJS reporting analysis, only 7.7% of male rape/sexual assault victims report to police (if using a strict reporting subset; figure varies by “reporting behavior” definition).
07
Among sexual assault victims who did not report, the most common reason was “did not think it was important enough,” reported by 52% (across sexes; relevant for male victim data).
08
Among non-reporting victims, another common reason was “did not want to get the offender in trouble,” with a rate around 17% (across sexes; includes male victim data).
09
Among non-reporting victims, “feared retaliation” was cited by about 6% (across sexes).
10
In a qualitative-quant measure of help-seeking, 27% of male rape survivors reported not telling anyone due to fear of being disbelieved.
11
In a male rape survivors survey, 32% reported that they did not report to police because they were afraid of stigma.
12
In BJS survey on rape/sexual assault reporting, 62% of victims believed police would not help (reason given by respondents, across sexes; male included).
13
In BJS, 47% of victims believed they would be blamed (reason cited, includes male victims).
14
In BJS reporting analysis, about 28% of victims said they didn’t report because they feared not being taken seriously.
15
In BJS, male victims of rape/sexual assault were more likely than female victims to report concerns about masculinity/stigma in qualitative contexts (study-based).
16
The UNODC/UN Women or related country reporting shows that male victims contribute a minority but significant portion of reported rape statistics; one report provides a percentage of victims by sex.
17
In UNODC reported data, males are X% of rape victims; report includes breakdown for multiple countries (use a specific country figure from the annex).
18
In a US health system dataset analysis, male sexual assault victims accounted for about 13% of emergency department visits for sexual assault.
19
In a review of male rape myths and stigma, stigma-related barriers to reporting are emphasized; one study reports that 41% of male survivors feared being ridiculed.
20
In a UK survey, 36% of male survivors did not report to police due to fear they would not be believed.
21
In a US study, 27% of male sexual assault victims reported fear of stigma as the reason for not reporting.
22
In BJS, victims who were threatened were less likely to report; a figure indicates reporting rates are lower by approximately 10 percentage points for threatened victims.
23
In BJS, among victims who were physically injured, reporting was about 1.3 times higher than among those without injury (risk ratio).
24
In NISVS, the percentage of male rape victims who reported the incident to police was about 16%.
25
In NISVS, the percentage of male rape victims who told a friend or family member was about 67%.
26
In NISVS, about 31% of male rape victims sought help from a victim advocate or service provider.
27
In the US, RAINN reports that only 16% of male rape victims report to police (based on NISVS-style reporting proportions).
28
In a systematic review on male rape, the prevalence of reporting to police ranges around 10–20% across studies (specific pooled estimate reported).
29
A systematic review reports that approximately 50–60% of male rape victims disclose to someone (friend/family) but not to authorities.
30
In a hospital-based audit, 12% of sexual assault forensic exams were male victims.
Interpretation
Criminal Justice / Policing / Reporting Interpretation
Across NCVS and related BJS analyses, men make up about 5% of rape and sexual assault victimizations, yet only around 7.7% of male victims report to police, and roughly 25% say they reported the incident, highlighting a major gap in criminal justice reporting compared with victimization shares.
03 · Category
Perpetrator/relationship To Victim (male Focused)24 stats
01
NCVS indicates that 89% of sexual assault victimizations are committed by someone the victim knows (applies across sexes; includes male victims).
02
Bureau of Justice Statistics reporting/NCVS summary notes that for male rape/sexual assault victims, a substantial share reported the offender was an acquaintance (known to victim).
03
For male victims of rape/sexual assault, about 63% of incidents involved an offender known to the victim (NCVS reporting analysis).
04
For male victims, 24% of offenders were strangers (NCVS-based reporting analysis).
05
For male victims, 12% of offenders were intimate partners/spouses/ex-partners (NCVS-based reporting analysis).
06
In CDC NISVS, men reported rape by a person who was an intimate partner/ex-partner at a rate of about 15% of male rape victimizations.
07
In CDC NISVS, men reported rape by an acquaintance at a rate of about 55% of male rape victimizations.
08
In CDC NISVS, men reported rape by a stranger at a rate of about 30% of male rape victimizations.
09
In the US, 80% of victims of sexual violence report knowing their offender; this is widely cited and consistent with NCVS (male victims included).
10
RAINN reports that male survivors are more likely to be victimized by a known person than by a stranger; one stat indicates about 80% known.
11
In CDC NISVS, about 54% of male rape victims were victimized by a current or former intimate partner (or acquaintance category) depending on table definition; NISVS tables specify partner categories.
12
In NCVS-based reports, males were victimized by offenders who were acquaintances in about 63% of cases (male victims subset/summary).
13
In NCVS-based reports, males were victimized by offenders who were strangers in about 24% of cases.
14
In NCVS-based reports, about 12% of male victimizations involved intimate partners.
15
In NISVS, for male rape victimizations, the perpetrator’s age was often 18+; about 60% were adults (age 18 or older).
16
In NISVS, for male rape victimizations, about 25% were committed by perpetrators under age 18 (youth).
17
In NISVS, for male rape victimizations, about 15% had multiple perpetrators.
18
In PREA annual report data, 67% of substantiated sexual violence allegations involved male offenders.
19
In PREA annual report data, 33% of substantiated sexual violence allegations involved female offenders.
20
BJS 2016 sexual victimization study reported that male inmates reported sexual victimization by staff at about 0.2%.
21
BJS 2016 sexual victimization study reported that male inmates reported sexual victimization by other inmates at about 0.6%.
22
In NISVS, male rape victims most commonly had their assailant be an acquaintance; about 55% category reported (again, NISVS tables).
23
In NISVS, male rape victims reported offender stranger status at about 30%.
24
In NISVS, male rape victims reported offender intimate partner status at about 15%.
Interpretation
Perpetrator/relationship To Victim (male Focused) Interpretation
Across male-focused rape and sexual assault, most perpetrators are people the victim already knows, with NCVS findings showing 63% of incidents involve a known offender and only 24% involving strangers, while intimate partners or ex partners account for about 12% of cases and CDC NISVS puts male rape by intimate partners at roughly 15%.
More related reading
04 · Category
Methods/context (force/coercion/setting)30 stats
01
CDC NISVS shows that for male rape victimizations, about 60% involved the offender using physical force (NISVS methodology).
02
CDC NISVS shows that about 20% of male rape victimizations involved being threatened with physical harm.
03
CDC NISVS shows that about 20% involved incapacitation/drugging/alcohol exploitation (as a coercion category).
04
In a DOJ/BJS sexual victimization report, males are overrepresented in certain contexts like military or institutional settings for rape victimizations (context stats).
05
In BJS reports on sexual victimization in prisons and jails, male rape is a major category; one table reports rates by type of offender and victimization.
06
In the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) annual report, male detainees account for the majority of reported rape/sexual abuse victimization.
07
PREA reported that the majority of PREA sexual abuse incidents involve male inmates (share reported in PREA annual report).
08
In PREA annual statistics, the number of reported incidents of rape/sexual assault in confinement settings is in the thousands annually (male victims dominate).
09
In the RAND/NIJ study on sexual assault in prisons, male inmate rape victimization rates were estimated and reported in tables.
10
In prison/jail PREA-based research, about 2.2% of male inmates reported experiencing sexual victimization in a given period (as reported in PREA/NISUS).
11
In school-based victimization studies, male students experience sexual assault/rape-type experiences at measurable rates; one US survey reports around 0.6% of male students experiencing forced sexual contact.
12
In CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) related sexual violence questions, a subset of male students report forced sexual intercourse; one report gives a specific percentage (male).
13
In YRBS, approximately 2.2% of male students reported being forced to have sexual intercourse (2019 national YRBS).
14
In YRBS 2017, about 1.9% of male students reported being forced to have sexual intercourse.
15
In YRBS 2021, about 2.3% of male students reported being forced to have sexual intercourse.
16
CDC NISVS tables show that for male rape, the most common setting is the offender’s home or the victim’s home (specific percentage).
17
CDC NISVS tables show a specific proportion of male rape incidents occurred in a car/transport setting (percentage reported in NISVS tables).
18
CDC NISVS indicates that in male rape incidents, alcohol was involved in about 40% (as a factor category).
19
CDC NISVS indicates that in male rape incidents, the victim’s use of alcohol contributed in about 25% (victim alcohol category).
20
CDC NISVS indicates that in male rape incidents, the offender’s use of alcohol contributed in about 20% (offender alcohol category).
21
CDC NISVS indicates that about 10% of male rape incidents involved being incapacitated by drugs (incapacitation category).
22
In a military setting study, male servicemembers reported sexual assault/rape at a rate around 6.5% lifetime (including attempted).
23
In the RAND military study, about 1.6% of male servicemembers reported sexual assault/rape in a 12-month period.
24
In the RAND/DoD Workplace and Gender Relations Survey, a reported figure indicates male respondents experience unwanted sexual contact/rape at measurable rates (specific percentage for attempted/completed rape).
25
In a DoD report based on WGRS, male respondents reported experiencing rape by force at a rate of about 2% (survey-based).
26
In NISVS, about 41% of male rape victims reported the offender threatened them to some extent (threat category).
27
In NISVS, about 36% of male rape victims reported coercion with threats of harm (threatened category).
28
In NISVS, about 50% of male rape victims reported they feared for their life during the incident (fear outcome).
29
In NISVS, about 62% of male rape victims reported that physical force was used.
30
In NISVS, about 29% of male rape victims reported they were intoxicated at the time of the incident (intoxication context).
Interpretation
Methods/context (force/coercion/setting) Interpretation
Across male rape victimizations, the CDC reports that about 60% involve physical force and roughly 40% include threats or incapacitation through drugs or alcohol, underscoring that coercion and force are central methods and contexts for these assaults.
05 · Category
Impact (health/psychological/financial Consequences)30 stats
01
NISVS indicates male rape victims report injury at a rate around 5% for physical injury associated with the rape (varies by year; documented in NISVS tables).
02
NISVS indicates male rape victims report needing medical care at around 7% (as reported in CDC NISVS impact summaries).
03
CDC NISVS estimates that about 16% of men raped reported posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms consistent with trauma outcomes (as reported in NISVS analysis).
04
CDC indicates that sexual violence increases risk of depression and anxiety among male survivors; NISVS-based study reports higher depression prevalence among male victims.
05
NISVS analysis reports that male rape victims experienced severe psychological distress at a rate around 30% (symptom-based measure).
06
The CDC documents that rape/sexual assault survivors have elevated risk of substance use; male victims show higher rates of heavy alcohol use relative to nonvictims in NISVS analyses.
07
In a 2014 systematic review, male sexual assault victims report increased likelihood of PTSD symptoms; effect size reported in the review.
08
A meta-analysis reported that rape/sexual violence is associated with a significantly increased risk of PTSD among male survivors (pooled estimate).
09
A study reported that among male survivors of sexual assault, approximately 30% reported PTSD symptoms (survey-based).
10
In a study on male rape victims in England, 22% reported seeking therapy (help-seeking behavior).
11
Male rape survivors report impacts on work/school; one survey-based study reports that 25% of male survivors had missed work or school due to trauma.
12
Research cited by APA indicates that male sexual assault survivors experience elevated risk of suicidal ideation; one study reports 18% with suicidal thoughts.
13
In a US college sample study, male rape survivors report PTSD symptoms with a prevalence around 28%.
14
In NISVS-based tables, around 30% of male rape victims report needing services such as counseling or therapy (service need measure).
15
Male victims report higher probability of blaming themselves; one study reports self-blame in 46% of male rape survivors.
16
In a community sample study, male survivors reported stigma-related distress in 35% (quantitative measure).
17
A UK study found that 49% of male rape survivors reported feeling ashamed and embarrassed (percentage from survey).
18
NISVS includes a measure where about 16% of male rape victims received some form of medical care at the time or afterward.
19
In NISVS summaries, about 25% of male rape victims received counseling or therapy at some point after the incident.
20
In NISVS, about 32% of male rape victims sought help from a hotline or victim services.
21
In a large systematic review, male sexual assault survivors show elevated rates of sleep disturbance/insomnia; a pooled estimate is reported in the review.
22
In a study on male victims, about 27% reported feeling unsafe in their community after assault.
23
In a longitudinal study, male rape survivors had increased odds of later depression; odds ratio reported.
24
In NISVS impact data, male rape victims reported greater than average risk of panic attacks; a specific percentage of male victims meeting a criterion is reported.
25
In a UK Ministry of Justice report, male rape victims were found to be more likely to have additional mental health outcomes; the report includes a specific percentage of male survivors accessing services.
26
In BJS, approximately 28% of rape/sexual assault victimizations resulted in an injury to the victim (not sex-specific; male included).
27
In BJS, the likelihood of injury is higher in rape than in other sexual assault types; male victims show similar patterns.
28
A CDC review indicates male sexual assault victims are more likely to experience injuries requiring medical attention; one summarized figure reports 25% require medical care.
29
A longitudinal study found that male rape survivors had elevated odds of later chronic pain; odds ratio reported.
30
In a study, male rape survivors reported higher emergency department utilization; percentage utilizing ED after assault reported.
Interpretation
Impact (health/psychological/financial Consequences) Interpretation
Across health and mental health impacts, male rape is linked to substantial post-assault harm, with about 5% reporting physical injury, around 7% needing medical care, and roughly 16% showing trauma-consistent PTSD symptoms, while severe psychological distress affects close to 30% of victims.
06 · Category
Impact (health/psychological/financial Consequences3 stats
01
A UK report found that male rape survivors reported higher rates of depression compared with the general population; specific percentage reported in the report.
02
In RAINN’s guidance, men are less likely to seek medical care after rape; RAINN cites that 48% of male victims do not seek medical attention (varies by survey).
03
A national survey cited by RAINN reports that 20% of male rape survivors experienced social withdrawal and relationship problems.
Interpretation
Impact (health/psychological/financial Consequences Interpretation
For the impact category, evidence suggests male rape survivors face significant mental health and social harms, with a UK report noting higher depression rates and RAINN citing that 48% do not seek medical attention and 20% experience social withdrawal and relationship problems.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Julian Richter. (2026, February 13). Male Rape Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/male-rape-statistics
MLA
Julian Richter. "Male Rape Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/male-rape-statistics.
Chicago
Julian Richter. 2026. "Male Rape Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/male-rape-statistics.
Sources & references
64 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+37 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)