The Global Shark Attack File records 2,615 shark attacks in United States between 1000 and 2026. Of those, 206 were fatal (7.9%). The species most often involved is the white shark.
Total recorded
2,615
Fatal
206
Fatality rate
7.9%
Global avg 21.2%
Years covered
1000–2026
Recorded incidents by year
Peak 73(2015)Avg 13.7
100019312026
189 years of data, 1000–2026
Shark attacks in United States per year, 1000–2026
How many shark attacks have been recorded in United States?▾
The Global Shark Attack File records 2,615 shark attacks in United States, of which 206 were fatal.
What is the shark attack fatality rate in United States?▾
7.9% of recorded shark attacks in United States are fatal, compared with a global average of 21.2%.
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 673 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.
Shark Data Lab