Afraid of a shark attack? You likely have bigger things to worry about.
While it is true that Florida sees more shark bites than any other state, the odds of a shark attack contributing to one’s death are extremely low. According to shark fatality data provided by the International Shark Attack File, the odds of someone having a shark-related fatality in any given year is 1 in 4,332,817.
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The only scientifically-verified source of its kind in the world, the International Shark Attack File (ISAF) is a worldwide database of shark attacks, and is kept by the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville, Florida.
A list of ways you are more likely to die than in a shark attack
Shark attacks are a potential danger that should be recognized in marine waters, but it is important to keep the risk in perspective. The odds of someone having a shark-related fatality in any given year is 1 in 4,332,817. In other words, the chances of you being killed by a shark attack is 0.000023078%.
Compare that to drowning, a far likelier risk in marine waters. The odds of drowning to death are 1 in 3,306, compared to the National Safety Council.
In 2024, there were only 47 instances of shark bites worldwide. 14 of those were in Florida. Worldwide, four of those bites were fatal, with the only instance of a fatal bite occurring in Hawaii.
According to data from the National Safety Council, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and more, here is a list of things more likely to kill you than a shark attack:
Train crash: You have a 1 in 156,169 chance of being killed via train crash. On average there are 24 deaths in a year in the United States, according to the NCS.
Fireworks: You have a 1 in 340,733 chance of being killed by fireworks. On average there are 11 deaths in a year in the United States, according to the NCS.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Scared of sharks? Here’s a list of things more likely to kill you