A study presented by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday found that 72 percent of female soldiers have experienced sexual harassment during their service. Actual cases occur up to five times more often than officially reported.

The research by the Bundeswehr's Centre of Military History and Social Sciences surveyed 45,000 personnel. It achieved an 18 percent response rate, with 8,100 questionnaires analyzed and weighted by rank and branch. Researchers supplemented the survey with 60 interviews.

It found that 40 percent of female soldiers experienced at least one episode of sexual misconduct in the past 12 months. This ranged from verbal harassment to unwanted touching and, in 2 percent of cases, sexual violence. Nine percent reported physical assault in the same period. Seven percent reported visual abuse, such as unwanted exposure to pornography.

About 19 percent of male soldiers reported similar experiences, with non-heterosexual soldiers disproportionately affected. According to the study, at least 96 percent of perpetrators were men.

Only 28 to 45 percent of respondents said the reporting process worked well. Between 56 and 66 percent of victims did not report incidents because they did not want to cause a stir, the study found. Young women in lower ranks were particularly affected.

Pistorius called the findings "unacceptable" and promised "zero tolerance" for sexual misconduct. He said the study revealed "three to five times as many cases as have actually been reported." He added that the study was "the starting point; it was the beginning, not the end of the matter." He said anyone who fails to set an example, tolerates misconduct or fails to deal with it consistently will "no longer hold a leadership position." He presented the results to the Bundestag's defense committee alongside General Inspector Carsten Breuer.

The study was commissioned at the end of 2025 on the initiative of former parliamentary commissioner for the armed forces Eva Högl. It comes as Germany seeks to expand its military to at least 260,000 active-duty soldiers and double trained reservists to about 200,000. Women make up about 14 percent of the Bundeswehr.

In early November, prosecutors opened investigations against five men at a medical regiment in Weißenfels, Saxony-Anhalt. The men allegedly used their positions as superiors to behave abusively toward young female recruits. One victim was reportedly a minor.