Dog Bite Statistics UK: Hospital Admissions and Attacks (2026)

Dog-related hospital admissions

The NHS recorded 10,796 finished admission episodes under the code for being bitten or struck by a dog in 2025/26. Of these, 8,613 were emergency admission episodes. Other routes included planned and waiting-list admissions.

An episode records a period of hospital care, and a person may be admitted more than once. Injuries treated only in A&E, primary care or at home fall outside the admission total. The code includes dog strikes as well as bites and does not identify breed.

How dog-bite admissions changed over 20 years

Research covering England from 1998 to 2018 found that annual hospital-admission incidence rose from 6.34 to 14.99 per 100,000 people. Adult cases drove the increase: adult incidence rose from 4.76 to 14.99 per 100,000, while children’s rates showed no clear annual trend.

The study also estimated approximately 207,000 A&E attendances a year on average over 1998–2018, with a wide 95% interval of approximately 134,000–457,000. This historical estimate used extrapolation from limited hospital coding.

The cost of treating dog-bite injuries

The same research model estimated direct English healthcare costs of £25.1 million for admissions and £45.7 million for A&E attendances in 2017/18. These are dated model estimates of treatment costs, useful for understanding the burden beyond the number of recorded admissions.

Dog attacks on postal workers

Royal Mail reported an average of 38 attacks a week in 2025/26. Significant injuries fell from 74 to 61, alongside the fall in overall attacks to 2,019.

The employer’s reports describe a specific occupational group. An attack could also appear in hospital records, so the postal and NHS figures describe overlapping aspects of the problem. Royal Mail advises owners to secure dogs before answering the door; visiting workers also need appropriate contact and incident-reporting arrangements.

What hospital and mortality records can show

Hospital admission coding identifies the type of injury event, rather than the dog’s breed or the circumstances of an offence. Breed-specific comparisons therefore require a separate dataset.

ONS mortality data use death-certificate information. The 2019–2024 release covers deaths involving being bitten or struck by a dog, reported by month of occurrence and local authority in England and Wales.

When to get medical help after a bite

NHS advice is to clean a broken-skin bite with soap and warm water and cover it with a clean dressing. Seek help from NHS 111 for bites to the hands, feet, face or head, signs of infection, a foreign object in the wound, or uncertainty about tetanus protection.

Large or deep wounds and bleeding that cannot be stopped need A&E assessment. A clinician can assess treatment and infection prevention.

Frequently asked questions

How many hospital admissions involve dog bites?

England recorded 10,796 admission episodes for being bitten or struck by a dog in 2025/26, including 8,613 emergency episodes.

Are dog attacks on postal workers increasing?

Royal Mail reported 2,019 attacks in 2025/26, 8% fewer than in the preceding period. Significant injuries fell from 74 to 61.

How many dog-bite injuries are treated in A&E?

Research estimated around 207,000 annual attendances in England on average over 1998–2018. That is a historical modelled estimate with substantial uncertainty, separate from the latest recorded admissions.