Shark Attacks in United States: Statistics & History | Shark Data Lab
Shark Attacks in United States
The Global Shark Attack File records 2,582 shark attacks in United States between 1640 and 2026. Of those, 200 were fatal (7.7%). The species most often involved is the white shark.
How many shark attacks have been recorded in United States?▾
The Global Shark Attack File records 2,582 shark attacks in United States, of which 200 were fatal.
What is the shark attack fatality rate in United States?▾
7.7% of recorded shark attacks in United States are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.1%.
Which shark species are most often involved in attacks in United States?▾
Based on incident records, the species most frequently identified in United States attacks are White Shark, Tiger Shark, Bull Shark.
What activities are most associated with shark attacks in United States?▾
Surfing accounts for the largest share of recorded incidents in United States, with 672 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.
164019322026
188 years of data, 1640–2026
Shark attacks in United States per year, 1640–2026
Shark Data Lab