Facts and Figures about Drowning

• More than 96% of drowning deaths occur in developing countries
• Child drowning is estimated to exceed 300,000 deaths every year
• Most child drowning in LMICs occur through everyday activities, not through recreation
• The drowning rate is 20 times higher in Asia than in rich countries like Australia
• One child drowns in Asia every 45 seconds during daylight hours
• Approximately half of all children who drown in Asia are under the age of five
• Almost half of all children aged 1–4 who drown in Asia, do so within 10 metres of their home
• Approximately 50 children drown in Bangladesh every day. By comparison, approximately 50 children drown in Australia every year
• The majority of child drowning occurs in rural areas; rice paddies, wells, fish ponds, troughs for livestock, irrigation canals and similar hazards are situated in and around the home environment
• Two simple interventions have proven to be extremely successful: a crèche program for children aged 1–4 provides supervision during busy times; and SwimSafe, an adapted survival swimming program, provides basic swimming and water safety skills for older children
• The Crèche program and SwimSafe can potentially reduce child drowning by more than 85%