In 2025, 65 unprovoked shark bites were recorded around the world, marginally below the recent 10-year average of 72.
Nine of these bites proved fatal, against a 10-year annual average of six deaths. Following a steep decline in the previous year, figures have returned to a more familiar pattern.
A long history of shark bite records
These figures are compiled by the International Shark Attack File (ISAF), based at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Established in 1958, the file contains reports dating back to the 1500s and records only unprovoked bites, where the person did not initiate contact with the shark.
Events connected with activities including spearfishing or taking a shark off a hook are not counted.
Gavin Naylor is the director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the Florida Museum of Natural History.
“The International Shark Attack Files provide baseline data about shark attacks on people that are rigorously and scientifically investigated, evaluated and summarized on an annual basis,” said Naylor.
“While a significant fraction of incidents likely go unreported, the temporal trends, and local and global patterns of incidents are used to evaluate the biology of the animals, their behavior and the risk they pose to humans.”
Shark bites in the United States
The United States recorded 25 unprovoked bites in 2025, accounting for 38% of incidents worldwide. Although this places the country first on the list, it marks a shift: since 2019, the US has accounted for more than half of all bites reported each year.
Florida recorded the highest number nationally, with 11 bites. That is below the state’s five-year annual average of 18 bites.
Volusia County, long known for frequent shark encounters, registered six bites. Its 10-year average stands at nine bites, while the county reported 17 bites in 2021.
June shark bite cluster along the East Coast
A cluster of incidents occurred along the East Coast in June. At Boca Grande, Florida, a 9-year-old girl lost her hand in a shark bite while snorkelling. After being flown to hospital, surgeons repaired her wrist.
More than 640 km farther north, two swimmers were bitten within a week at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. One was a 12-year-old girl who was airlifted for treatment.
Several days later, a woman suffered a bite to her foot at Jones Beach State Park on Long Island, probably from a juvenile sand tiger shark.
Researchers identified a sand tiger shark nursery south of Long Island about a decade ago. Young sharks spend their first years in the area before moving offshore. They are not generally aggressive, but juveniles can accidentally bite while pursuing fish near the shore.
The sole fatal US incident took place in central California, where a 55-year-old triathlete was attacked by a white shark after entering Monterey Bay.
Australia and the “big three”
Australia reported 21 unprovoked bites in 2025, considerably above its recent five-year annual average of 13. Five people died.
The country’s waters are inhabited by white sharks, tiger sharks and bull sharks.
These large species account for most severe bites across the world. White sharks can reach almost 6 m in length.
“If these bites occurred anywhere other than Australia, they would probably have resulted in even more fatalities. Their beach safety is second to none. Within minutes of a bite, they’ve got helicopters airborne ready to respond,” Naylor said.
Remote waters and greater risks
Other locations do not have the same emergency response capacity. In November, a Swiss couple in their 20s were attacked by a bull shark while swimming and filming dolphins in a remote area.
A bystander applied an improvised tourniquet. The man survived after being flown to hospital, but the woman died before paramedics arrived.
Island nations also recorded incidents. In Samoa, a 13-year-old Australian boy was bitten by a tiger shark while surfing. His father, a paramedic, administered first aid before taking him to hospital.
In the Canary Islands, a British surfer sustained a thigh bite after a shark attacked his hydrofoil board. He returned to shore and received treatment.
Surfers accounted for 32% of unprovoked bites in 2025, placing them among the water users with the highest rates.
Canada reported its first unprovoked bite since 2021 after a white shark bit a paddleboard. The rider was unharmed. The sighting came after reports of an increasing number of white sharks in the region.
The Northwest Atlantic population fell by about 70% from the 1960s onwards, but has grown in recent years, despite still being endangered in Canada.
A rare fatality involving a dusky shark
One of the most unusual incidents of the year involved a dusky shark. During South Africa’s annual sardine run, when enormous shoals of fish attract predators, a free diver gathering crayfish was fatally bitten.
It was the first confirmed fatality caused by a dusky shark in the global record.
Another fatal event, in Israel in April, also involved a dusky shark, but was classed as provoked and therefore excluded from the official total.
It happened near a power plant that discharges warm water into the sea, drawing sharks during cooler months. Some sharks in this location have developed “begging” behavior after people fed them.
“The majority of the bites in the database involve unidentified species,” said Joe Miguez, manager of the International Shark Attack File.
“In the moment of the attack, witnesses are often unable to identify the shark, and several species of closely related sharks are hard to distinguish from one another without a thorough analysis.”
The database contains six reported dusky shark bites in total.
Fewer sharks, but steady patterns
Long-term shark bite averages are notably consistent. The 10-, 20-, and 30-year averages vary by just four incidents. Across those same periods, fatalities have averaged six per year.
At the same time, shark populations remain well below historic levels. Intense fishing pressure has diminished many species globally.
“Out of the 1,200 species, 30% of them are categorized as endangered,” said Naylor. “That’s a lot, especially because these animals have managed to persist for about 330 million years. They’ve been through the Permian Extinction and Cretaceous Extinction. Clearly, they’re resilient, yet here we are.”
Naylor said shark bites result from the animals’ biology, climatic conditions and the number of people in the water when an incident occurs.
“These global patterns change only slightly from one year to the other. But the regional incidents do oscillate a lot, and these local trends are interesting.”
Shark bites are still rare
For an individual, the danger remains exceptionally low. Drowning is much more common: the CDC reports more than 4,000 drowning deaths every year in the United States.
Lowering the likelihood of a shark encounter is often a matter of common sense. Swim with others, stay out of the water in low-light conditions at dawn and dusk, and remain away from fishing activity.
It is also advisable to avoid baited shark tours. They are prohibited in Florida, but continue to operate in certain regions.
Figures differ between locations, and the ocean is continually changing. Even so, the global pattern remains remarkably stable from year to year.
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