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Shark Attacks in New Zealand

The Global Shark Attack File records 147 shark attacks in New Zealand between 1852 and 2024. Of those, 26 were fatal (17.7%). The species most often involved is the white shark.

Last recorded shark attack in New ZealandNovember 18, 2024 · Chatham IslandsView details →

Total recorded

147

Fatal

26

Fatality rate

17.7%

Global avg 21.2%

Years covered

1852–2024

Recorded incidents by year

Peak 7 (1962)Avg 1.9
1852: 11860: 21861: 11862: 21864: 21868: 11875: 11879: 11880: 11882: 31885: 11886: 21887: 11888: 11890: 11891: 11892: 11893: 11895: 21896: 21897: 11899: 11902: 11904: 11906: 11907: 11910: 11911: 21912: 11915: 11919: 11920: 11926: 11927: 11929: 11932: 11939: 11956: 11959: 11960: 21962: 71963: 21964: 61966: 11967: 21968: 31971: 11972: 11976: 11985: 11992: 11995: 11996: 11999: 62000: 42001: 12003: 32004: 62005: 22006: 12007: 22008: 32009: 62010: 32011: 12012: 22013: 22014: 32016: 12017: 32018: 32019: 32020: 32021: 42022: 22023: 32024: 1Average: 1.9 per year
185219592024
77 years of data, 1852–2024
Shark attacks in New Zealand per year, 1852–2024
YearAttacks
18521
18602
18611
18622
18642
18681
18751
18791
18801
18823
18851
18862
18871
18881
18901
18911
18921
18931
18952
18962
18971
18991
19021
19041
19061
19071
19101
19112
19121
19151
19191
19201
19261
19271
19291
19321
19391
19561
19591
19602
19627
19632
19646
19661
19672
19683
19711
19721
19761
19851
19921
19951
19961
19996
20004
20011
20033
20046
20052
20061
20072
20083
20096
20103
20111
20122
20132
20143
20161
20173
20183
20193
20203
20214
20222
20233
20241

Species most often involved in New Zealand

Counts based on the species field in the Global Shark Attack File. Species identification in incident reports is not always reliable.

Activities most associated with incidents

  • Swimming22
  • Fishing19
  • Surfing17
  • Spearfishing12
  • Bathing12

Recent recorded incidents in New Zealand

Frequently Asked Questions

How many shark attacks have been recorded in New Zealand?
The Global Shark Attack File records 147 shark attacks in New Zealand, of which 26 were fatal.
What is the shark attack fatality rate in New Zealand?
17.7% of recorded shark attacks in New Zealand are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.2%.
Which shark species are most often involved in attacks in New Zealand?
Based on incident records, the species most frequently identified in New Zealand attacks are White Shark, Broadnose Sevengill Shark, Bronze Whaler.
What activities are most associated with shark attacks in New Zealand?
Swimming accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in New Zealand, with 22 cases logged.
Where does this shark attack data come from?
All figures are derived from the Global Shark Attack File (GSAF), a non-profit database of shark-human incident records. Shark Data Lab cleans, geocodes, and aggregates the GSAF dataset for analysis.