Shark attacks: Number of fatal attacks doubled in 2023. Risk of being attacked by a shark is extremely small.
However, the number of attacks has increased in the past year. A majority of attacks last year occurred in the United States (52 percent) and Australia (22 percent). Surfers have been bitten in 42 percent of cases worldwide.. Increasing human activity in sharks' natural habitats is leading to an increase in encounters with the animals. The number of registered attacks has risen sharply over the past few decades.