how many shark attacks in australia
Australia typically records a few dozen shark bites a year, with only a small number being fatal.
Quick Scoop: How many shark attacks in Australia?
- Over the past two centuries, Australia has recorded almost 1,300 shark-related incidents in total.
- From 2000 to 2025 , there were 559 documented shark bites in Australian waters, of which about 58 were fatal (just over 10%).
- Conservation and safety groups say Australia sees around 20–22 shark attacks (bites) per year on average , with fewer than three deaths annually in most recent decades.
- In 2025 , an analysis of the Australian Shark-Incident Database found 25 shark bite incidents , including 5 fatalities.
- Another tracker that focuses on media-reported attacks counted 15 shark attack bites in Australia in 2025 , with 5 of them fatal , showing how numbers can vary depending on definitions and data sources.
- The deadliest recent year was 2020 , with eight fatalities recorded in Australian waters.
Longer-term fatality numbers
- The Australian Shark-Incident Database reports 312 fatal shark attacks in Australia between 1791 and November 2025.
- Of those, 59 fatal attacks occurred from 2000 onward , with 23 since 2020.
Where do most incidents happen?
- New South Wales (NSW) has the highest recorded number, with 465 shark bites over about 235 years , including about 150 in greater Sydney.
- Queensland has reported around 377 incidents , and Western Australia about 241 , over similar timeframes.
Recent trend and “latest news” angle
Media and researchers note that while headline clusters (like several attacks in a short time) can make it feel like shark attacks are “exploding,” the overall long-term pattern is relatively stable , with small year‑to‑year fluctuations. In early 2026, coverage has focused on a spate of incidents around Sydney and the tragic death of a 12‑year‑old boy , prompting renewed debate about nets, drum lines, and non-lethal technologies.
Even in a “bad” year, the risk to any one swimmer or surfer on a given day remains extremely low, especially compared with everyday risks like driving.
Why the numbers differ
Different sources count “shark attacks” differently:
- Some include all bites (provoked and unprovoked).
- Some include only unprovoked incidents.
- Some track only fatal attacks , others track all injuries.
That is why you might see one source say 15 attacks in 2025 and another 25 bites in the same year.
TL;DR: If you’re asking “how many shark attacks in Australia?” , the best modern snapshot is: about 20–22 shark bites per year on average, usually fewer than three deaths , adding up to hundreds of bites (559 since 2000) and 312 fatalities since records began in 1791.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.