How Often Do Sharks Attack Humans? Real Numbers and Risk

What the shark attack numbers show

The most trusted figures come from the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) at the Florida Museum of Natural History, which investigates reported incidents around the world. It separates unprovoked bites, where a person did nothing to attract or disturb the shark, from provoked bites, such as when someone tries to touch, feed or unhook a shark.

In 2025, the ISAF investigated 105 reported incidents. It confirmed 65 unprovoked bites and 29 provoked bites, and other cases turned out to involve boats, sharks feeding on people who had already died, or no shark at all. Of the 65 unprovoked bites, 9 were fatal.

Numbers rise and fall from year to year, partly with the number of people in the water. Over the long term, recorded bites increased during the 1900s as more people took up swimming, surfing and diving and as reporting improved, rather than because sharks became more aggressive.

Where do most shark bites happen?

The United States usually leads the world. In 2025 it had 25 unprovoked bites, about 38% of the global total, with one death. Florida had 11 bites, none fatal, below its five-year average of 19, and more than half of them were in Volusia County around New Smyrna Beach. California had 5 bites, including one death, and Hawaii 4. The local picture for Florida is explained in sharks in Florida.

Australia came second with 21 unprovoked bites in 2025, well above its recent average, and 5 deaths. The Bahamas, New Zealand, South Africa and the islands of the Pacific and Indian Oceans make up most of the rest. Europe sees very few: in 2025, the only case in a European country’s waters was in Spain’s Canary Islands.

What people were doing matters. In 2025, about 46% of victims were swimming or wading, 32% were surfing or using other boards, and 15% were snorkeling or free-diving. Surfers are over-represented because they spend long hours in the surf zone, often at dawn and dusk.

Which sharks bite people?

More than 500 shark species exist, but only a handful are linked to serious bites. The ISAF’s species records, gathered since the 1500s, put three species far ahead of the rest:

The great white shark is behind most serious bites in cool waters off California, Australia and South Africa. The tiger shark is the main concern in Hawaii and other warm islands, and the bull shark in warm, murky coastal water and river mouths. Many bites by gray requiem sharks are hard to identify, which is why some experts suspect bull sharks are undercounted, as explained in Are bull sharks the most dangerous shark?

Most other bites, especially in Florida, come from smaller sharks such as blacktip and spinner sharks. They usually bite once, often on a hand or foot in murky surf, and let go.

Why do sharks bite people?

People are not natural prey for sharks. Most bites are thought to be cases of mistaken identity or investigation. In cloudy water, a splashing hand or foot can look like a fish. Off California and South Africa, a person on a surfboard seen from below may resemble a seal.

Some scientists argue that sharks are simply exploring an unfamiliar object the only way they can, by biting it. This would explain why many bites are a single bite followed by the shark leaving. Large sharks can still cause severe injuries with one bite, which is why most deaths involve the big three species.

How does the risk compare with other dangers?

Shark bites are among the rarest causes of injury at the beach. In the United States, unprovoked shark bites cause on average about one death a year. By comparison, lightning has killed about 20 people a year in the US in recent years, rip currents are blamed for around 100 drowning deaths a year, and around 4,000 people drown in the US each year in all settings.

Worldwide, sharks are far down the list of animals dangerous to people, well behind mosquitoes, snakes, dogs and even freshwater snails, as the list of the deadliest animals to humans shows. The danger runs mostly the other way: fishing kills tens of millions of sharks every year, and many species are now threatened.

How to lower the risk of a shark bite

The risk is already tiny, but simple habits make it smaller still:

• Swim at beaches with lifeguards and follow flags, signs and closures. Cape Cod beaches, for example, fly purple shark flags.
• Stay out of the water at dawn, dusk and night, when many sharks feed.
• Avoid murky water, river mouths and channels, especially after heavy rain.
• Keep away from seal colonies, people fishing, schools of baitfish and diving seabirds.
• Do not swim alone or far from shore, and leave the water calmly if a shark is seen.
• Avoid shiny jewelry, which can glint like fish scales.

If someone is bitten, get them out of the water and seek emergency medical help immediately: call 911 (US), 112 (EU) or 999 (UK).