Shark attack statistics show that there have been more than 488 unprovoked fatal shark attacks in Australia since 1988. While most recorded attacks have occurred in New South Wales, the majority of fatalities transpired in Western Australia.
Finder analysed data released by the Shark Research Institute's Global Shark Attack File, determining hotspot coastal locations around the country where hundreds of unprovoked shark attacks have occurred between 1988 and 2018.
In Australia, there has been an average of 16.3 shark attacks a year since 1988.
156 attacks took place off the coast of NSW, almost double the 83 attacks recorded in Queensland, which came in second.
| State | Attacks | Fatal |
|---|---|---|
| New South Wales | 156 | 7 |
| Western Australia | 81 | 18 |
| Queensland | 83 | 9 |
| South Australia | 28 | 11 |
| Victoria | 32 | 0 |
| Tasmania | 5 | 2 |
| Northern Territory | 6 | 0 |
| Torres Strait | 1 | 0 |
| Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 488 | 47 |
Source: finder.com.au, www.sharkattackfile.net *Not all shark fatalities are recorded by State, and some are unaccounted for due to ocean locations.
The coast of Western Australian is the most deadly, with 18 fatal shark attacks. South Australia has the next deadliest coastline with 11 recorded fatalities, followed by Queensland (9), NSW (7) and Tasmania (2). This means Western Australia accounts for 38% of the country's total shark-related fatalities.
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Australia ranks second in the world for the number of shark attacks (488) behind the USA with a whopping 1,406 attacks since 1988.
While Medicare covers you if anything should happen on an Australian beach, if you're planning on surfing abroad - especially in any of these destinations - travel insurance for surfers with comprehensive (or unlimited) overseas medical and hospital expenses is strongly recommended.
| Country | Shark attacks |
|---|---|
| USA | 1,406 |
| Australia | 488 |
| South Africa | 225 |
| Brazil | 98 |
| Bahamas | 77 |
| New Zealand | 52 |
| Reunion | 52 |
| New Caledonia | 34 |
| Mexico | 31 |
| Egypt | 21 |
| Fiji | 21 |
| Japan | 19 |
| French Polynesia | 17 |
| Spain | 17 |
| Papua New Guinea | 13 |
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