November 4, 2025 - 1:30pm
The total percentage of people in England and Wales who experienced sexual assault in the year to March 2025 fell by 8%, according to newly published figures. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that the prevalence of sexual assault experienced by people aged 16 to 59 in the last year was 2.4%, compared with 2.6% for the year ending March 2024.
These statistics show that approximately 15.9% of adults (7.7 million) had experienced sexual assault since the age of 16, with 1.9 million (4.0%) being victims of rape (including attempts). That constituted 7.3% of women (1.8 million) and 0.5% of men (129,000).
The new figures come amid a rise in online claims — reposted by Elon Musk among other prominent figures — that Britain suffers the worst per capita rate of rape in the developed world. These claims cite data from the World Population Review, which ranks the UK second only to Grenada. However, a Reuters analysis in September highlighted major flaws in this comparison, noting that countries with stronger legal protections for women and broader definitions of rape tend to report higher rates.
Claims that Britain faces a uniquely severe problem with sexual violence have grown louder in recent months, fueled in part by Elon Musk’s interventions on social media. Earlier this year, the X owner repeatedly drew attention to Pakistani Muslim grooming gangs operating in British towns and cities, even accusing Prime Minister Keir Starmer in January of being “complicit in the rape of Britain.” After months of mounting pressure, the Labour government announced a statutory inquiry into grooming gangs in June.
Courts in England and Wales have had a significant backlog since Covid-19. Analysis of Government data from the charity Rape Crisis England and Wales in March this year showed that the number of sexual offenses waiting to go to the Crown Court is now 11,981: a record high. This number has increased by 41% in two years. There are now also 3,489 adult rape cases waiting to go to trial, an increase of 70% in two years.
While today’s ONS data suggests a downward trend, other metrics complicate the picture. NHS data from March this year showed that the number of people being referred for specialist NHS support following rape or sexual assault has increased by nearly 18% in the last two years. This could of course be a sign of improvement in NHS support rather than a rise in sexual assault. Additionally, the new data shows that there has been a significant increase in the prevalence of sexual assault over a 10-year period, with only 1.7% of the population experiencing the crime in March 2015.
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