Why do solar eclipses seem less frequent than lunar eclipses even though they occur more often worldwide?

Solar eclipses are actually more frequent than lunar eclipses on a global scale, occurring two to five times per year compared to the typical two lunar eclipses. The perception that solar eclipses are less frequent arises from the significant difference in their visibility across Earth.123

The visibility of these events is determined by their geometry:

• Solar Eclipses: Because the Moon is much smaller than Earth, its shadow (the umbra) creates a very narrow path of totality on the planet's surface. Consequently, a total solar eclipse is visible only from a limited region at any given time, and any specific location on Earth may experience one only once every few hundred years.142
• Lunar Eclipses: When a lunar eclipse occurs, the Earth casts a shadow on the Moon that can be seen by anyone on the night side of the planet. Because they are visible from an entire hemisphere, they appear much more frequent to observers at any fixed location.123