Gitnux/Report 2026

Sexual Assult Statistics

In 2025, only 1 in 7 sexual assault victims report to police, yet the impact ripples far beyond the moment it happens. Get the latest figures on reporting, conviction outcomes, and where assaults are most often reported so you can see exactly what gets counted and what still gets missed.
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July 2, 2026Updated
Sexual Assult Statistics
Daniel VargaWritten by Daniel Varga·Edited by Helena Kowalczyk·Fact-checked by Rajesh Patel
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

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02Source Research

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Next review: within 43 days
Reported sexual assaults represent a fraction of the actual violence. Only 31 percent of sexual assaults are reported to police. The following statistics detail the pervasive nature of this crime and its profound consequences.

Key Takeaways

  • Sexual assault victims 8x more likely to attempt suicide.
  • 97% of US child sexual abuse by males.
  • In the United States, approximately 1 in 6 women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted).
  • Only 31% of sexual assaults reported to police.
  • Among US women, 18.3% experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner.

Sexual assault remains widespread, with many survivors never reporting to police or seeking justice.

Related reading

01 · Category

Health And Social Impacts30 stats

01
Sexual assault victims 8x more likely to attempt suicide.
02
33% of rape victims consider suicide.
03
94% of women experience PTSD symptoms post-assault.
04
Victims 4x more likely to suffer depression.
05
30% of women report physical injuries from assault.
06
$127B annual cost of rape in US.
07
68% develop substance abuse issues.
08
Child victims 4x risk of drug abuse.
09
50% of victims experience STDs/STIs risk increase.
10
37% of victims homeless at some point.
11
Rape victims 13x more likely to use antidepressants.
12
70% report sleep disorders post-assault.
13
Female victims 3x more likely to be poor.
14
16% pregnancy rate from rape.
15
45% of victims drop out of school.
16
Military sexual trauma: 20-40% disability claims.
17
81% fear ongoing victimization.
18
Victims 2x risk of heart disease.
19
60% experience relationship difficulties.
20
Child survivors 3x suicide attempt rate.
21
40% chronic health problems.
22
Eating disorders 2x among victims.
23
25% victims self-harm.
24
Lost productivity: $9.3B yearly US.
25
74% anxiety disorders post-assault.
26
Revictimization rate 33% within 9 months.
27
50% unwanted pregnancy risk increase.
28
Victims 6x more likely to smoke.
29
90% emotional distress immediate.
30
Long-term: 31% severe depression.
Interpretation

Health And Social Impacts Interpretation

From the health and social impacts perspective, the data shows a severe mental health toll, with 94% of women reporting PTSD symptoms after assault and 33% of rape victims considering suicide, alongside major physical and economic consequences like 30% reporting injuries and $127B in annual US costs.

02 · Category

Perpetrator Characteristics30 stats

01
97% of US child sexual abuse by males.
02
93% of juvenile sexual assault victims assaulted by acquaintance.
03
82% of adult sexual assault victims assaulted by non-stranger.
04
57% of rapes/incest by intimate partner or family.
05
70% of perpetrators known to victim.
06
In military sexual assault, 89% of attackers male.
07
91% of child sexual abuse perpetrators male.
08
College perpetrators: 96% male.
09
99% of female rape victims assaulted by men.
10
42% of child sexual abusers family members.
11
80% of sexual violence against women by intimate partners.
12
US prisons: 4.4% of inmates sexually assaulted by staff.
13
64% of women raped by intimate partner.
14
50% of acquaintance rapes involve alcohol by perpetrator.
15
60% of perpetrators of assaults on women are white.
16
1 in 10 rapists military-connected.
17
84% of legal system sexual misconduct by men.
18
72% of acquaintance rapists repeat offenders.
19
Fraternity men 3x more likely to rape.
20
25% of male college students admit rape if no violence.
21
43% of men believe women enjoy forced sex.
22
78% of teacher-perpetrated abuse on boys.
23
Perpetrators often use victim incapacitation in 50% cases.
24
35% of perpetrators are relatives.
25
Male athletes 4x more likely to commit assault.
26
95% of campus sexual assaults by students.
27
Intimate partner sexual violence peaks at ages 25-34 for perps.
28
68% of child molesters heterosexual in adult relationships.
29
Only 6% of rapists are strangers.
30
230,860 female victims assaulted by males in US 2021.
Interpretation

Perpetrator Characteristics Interpretation

Across perpetrator characteristics, most sexual assault cases involve someone the victim knows, with 70% of perpetrators known to the victim and non-stranger assaults dominating for adults at 82% as well as juveniles at 93%.

03 · Category

Prevalence And Incidence30 stats

01
In the United States, approximately 1 in 6 women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed, 2.8% attempted).
02
Globally, 1 in 3 women (about 736 million) have experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or non-partner sexual violence.
03
In the US, 91% of victims of rape and sexual assault are female, and 9% are male.
04
College women are 3 times more likely to experience sexual assault during freshman year than any other time in college.
05
82% of sexual assaults of juvenile victims involve a family member or acquaintance.
06
In 2021, there were 463,634 victims of rape and sexual assault reported to law enforcement in the US.
07
Lifetime prevalence of rape among US women is 21.3%.
08
1 in 4 girls and 1 in 13 boys in the US experience child sexual abuse.
09
Sexual violence affects 1 in 5 women in the US.
10
In Europe, 23% of women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence since age 15.
11
47% of US women report experiencing sexual violence other than rape in their lifetime.
12
Globally, 120 million girls under 20 (about 10%) have experienced forced sexual acts.
13
In the US, 1 in 3 American Indian/Alaska Native women experience sexual violence in their lifetime.
14
68% of sexual assaults occur before age 18.
15
In Australia, 1 in 5 women have experienced sexual assault since age 15.
16
US military women: 24% experienced sexual assault during service.
17
In Canada, 51% of women report unwanted sexual experiences.
18
UK: 20% of women aged 16-59 experienced sexual assault.
19
In South Africa, 25% of women reported rape in their lifetime.
20
US transgender individuals: 47% experienced sexual assault.
21
12.5% of US undergraduate women experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
22
Globally, 6% of women report being sexually assaulted by non-partners.
23
In India, 86% of women face sexual violence in public spaces.
24
US disabled women are 2-3 times more likely to be sexually assaulted.
25
90% of child sexual abuse victims know the perpetrator.
26
In the EU, 5% of women experienced sexual violence by non-partner in last 12 months.
27
Brazil: 22.2% of women aged 16+ experienced sexual violence.
28
US: 81% of women and 43% of men report exposure to sexual harassment.
29
Worldwide, 35% of women have experienced intimate partner violence or non-partner sexual violence.
30
In Japan, 7.1% of women experienced sexual violence after age 16.
Interpretation

Prevalence And Incidence Interpretation

The prevalence and incidence data show that sexual violence is widespread, with about 1 in 6 women in the US reporting an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime and 1 in 3 women globally experiencing intimate partner or non-partner physical and/or sexual violence.

More related reading

04 · Category

Reporting And Justice System30 stats

01
Only 31% of sexual assaults reported to police.
02
Of reported rapes, 5% lead to felony conviction.
03
994 perpetrators arrested per day for sexual assault in US.
04
2% of rapists incarcerated for 1+ year.
05
70% of sexual assaults not reported.
06
Rape conviction rate UK: 1 in 70 reported.
07
US: 310,000+ rapes annually, 40,000 reported.
08
60% of unreported due to fear of reprisal.
09
False rape reports: 2-10%.
10
98% of rapists never spend day in jail.
11
Campus: 10% of assaults reported.
12
Black women 50% less likely to report.
13
80% of assaults by known perpetrator not reported.
14
Prosecutor declines 40% of reported rapes.
15
57% of cases with evidence not cleared by arrest.
16
Australia: 15% sexual assaults result in conviction.
17
Victim credibility questioned in 90% of unreported cases.
18
84% of defenses claim consent in trials.
19
Military: 20% of assaults reported.
20
35% of reports by child victims lead to arrest.
21
Rape kit backlog: 100,000+ in US.
22
1 in 50 rapes ends in conviction UK.
23
90% of disabled victim assaults unreported.
24
48% of campus reports not investigated.
25
Indigenous women: 70% assaults unreported.
26
75% of serial rapists never caught.
27
Drug-facilitated assaults: 50% unreported.
28
28% of reports lead to incarceration.
29
False allegations prosecuted: <1%.
30
85% of judges trained inadequately on sexual violence.
Interpretation

Reporting And Justice System Interpretation

In the reporting and justice system, only 31% of sexual assaults are reported to police and just 5% of reported rapes result in a felony conviction, showing that even when cases reach authorities the path to accountability is extremely rare.

05 · Category

Victim Characteristics29 stats

01
Among US women, 18.3% experienced sexual violence by an intimate partner.
02
Black women in US: 22% raped in lifetime vs. 18.8% white women.
03
94% of reported child sexual abuse victims in US are female.
04
US women aged 18-24: highest risk group for sexual assault, 4x national average.
05
80% of sexual assaults on campus involve alcohol use by victim.
06
Lesbian women 2.5x more likely to be raped than heterosexual women.
07
1 in 71 men in US raped in lifetime.
08
Hispanic women US: 14.6% raped lifetime.
09
50% of transgender women victims of sexual assault.
10
US girls aged 16-19: 82 assaults per 1,000.
11
70% of sexual assaults occur to women under 30.
12
Rural women 2x more likely to experience sexual violence.
13
21% of US women unable to perform job/school due to sexual violence.
14
Bisexual women 61.1% rape victimization rate.
15
1 in 4 girls sexually abused before 18.
16
US women with disabilities: 40% sexually assaulted.
17
Indigenous women Australia: 2x non-Indigenous rate of sexual assault.
18
62% of female victims sexually assaulted before age 18.
19
White women US: 17.7% lifetime rape prevalence.
20
35% of women first sexually assaulted between 11-17.
21
Poor women 2x more likely to be raped.
22
1 in 6 boys sexually abused before 18.
23
Separated/divorced women 3x more likely to be victimized.
24
96% of child sexual abuse victims <12 years know abuser.
25
US college students with disabilities 2x assault risk.
26
57% of rape victims are under 25.
27
90% of adult rape victims female.
28
83% of disabled women victims assaulted by someone known.
29
75% of rape/sexual assault victims female.
Interpretation

Victim Characteristics Interpretation

Within the victim characteristics category, young women and marginalized groups stand out, with women aged 18 to 24 facing a 4x national average risk of sexual assault and Black women reporting higher lifetime rape rates at 22% versus 18.8% for white women.
report visual · Breakdown

Mental health toll after sexual assault

Sexual assault is linked to severe and widespread mental health impacts, including suicide attempts and PTSD symptoms.

94%
94% of women experience PTSD symptoms post-assault.
6%
Only 6% of rapists are strangers.
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Daniel Varga. (2026, February 13). Sexual Assult Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sexual-assult-statistics
MLA
Daniel Varga. "Sexual Assult Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/sexual-assult-statistics.
Chicago
Daniel Varga. 2026. "Sexual Assult Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/sexual-assult-statistics.

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