98 drownings in 2023

Over the past decade, an average of 88 people died each year due to Accidental drowningOf the 877 drownings that occurred during this period, three quarters occurred in open water, such as rivers, canals, drains, lakes or the ocean. Twenty percent of drownings occurred in or around the home, such as in a bathtub or garden pond.

Between 2014 and 2023, 27 Non-residents People living in the Netherlands, such as tourists or temporary workers, have also drowned in the Netherlands.

People over 60 are most likely to drown

In recent decades, the highest number of accidental drownings has occurred among people aged 60 and over. Between 2014 and 2023, an average of 0.9 people per 100,000 people aged 60 and over drowned. The drowning rate for children under 10 was 0.4 per 100,000. In contrast, in the 1950s, young children accounted for a much higher proportion of drowning deaths. However, between 1950 and 1980, the number of drownings in all age groups declined rapidly. Since then, the number of drownings has declined more slowly.

The old data has been recalculated based on the age structure of the population in 2023 (a process called standardization) to account for factors such as an aging population.

Drowning rates are higher among children born outside the Netherlands

Between 2014 and 2023, 64 children under the age of 10 drowned, and another 50 children aged 10 to 19. Of these, about half were not of Dutch origin: they were either born abroad themselves (migrants) or one or both parents were born abroad (second generation).

Children under 10 years old who were born in countries outside of Europe are nine times more likely to die from drowning than children in the Netherlands. Children aged 10-19 are 14 times more likely to die from drowning than children in the Netherlands. Non-European immigrant children under 10 who were born in the Netherlands but whose parents are not in the Netherlands are also at higher risk of drowning than children in the Netherlands.