The charts that show how we died in the worst year on record for drowning
By Julie Power
Nearly one person a day fatally drowned during what was Australia’s most dangerous year in the water on record.
The National Drowning report released on Tuesday found 357 people fatally drowned in 2024-25, a 27 per cent increase on the 10-year average and up from 323 last year.
Adam Weir, left, and Justin Scarr.Credit: Jessica Hromas
The unprecedented number of deaths was a wake-up call, Royal Life Saving Australia chief executive Dr Justin Scarr said before the launch of the report at Parliament House with federal Communications and Sport Minister Anika Wells.
The surge in deaths coincided with a decline in swimming skills to the lowest level since the 1970s, Scarr said. The rise coincided with a spike in older people killed, with the over-65 cohort accounting for a third of drowning deaths.
With 43 per cent of all drowning deaths happening on beaches and coastlines outside the red and yellow flags, Surf Life Saving CEO Adam Weir called on governments to boost funding for its safety campaigns, recruit more lifesavers and lifeguards for black spots, improve surveillance and install lifesaving devices.
But it couldn’t be at the expense of efforts by its 200,000 volunteers, he said. Weir said modelling by Deloitte updated this year estimated that without these volunteers, there would be another 1800 drowning deaths every year.
Here are the charts that reveal how and where we are at risk in the water.
Reflecting the ageing population, of the 357 people who fatally drowned, 118 were 65 years and older, a trend that has been rising for the past 10 years. Older people were spending more time in the water: swimming accounted for a third of all deaths among this age group, and boating, 14 per cent.
The report said older people often lacked adequate water safety skills and knowledge, and often underestimated risk factors caused by health conditions and medications.
There was some good news, though. Drowning deaths of children under five fell 21 per cent below the 10-year average to 15, a far cry from the days before pool fencing became mandatory.
Scarr said, “We have done a lot of work looking after our children, but I think the time is right to think about the safety of our parents and grandparents.”
But as children left primary school, the drowning rate rose. Among 15 to 24-year-olds, for example, 44 people drowned, 38 per cent above the 10-year average.
Gender
Men continued to be overrepresented, accounting for 81 per cent of drowning deaths and 85 per cent of drowning deaths on beaches.
Most experts attribute this trend, seen also in road safety statistics, to increased risk-taking by men.
Drowning happens to the poor
Around the world, drowning disproportionately affects the poor and those in remote areas.
That trend is happening here too: drowning deaths in Australia are twice as high among people living in the most disadvantaged areas than the richest. The fatal drowning rate was nearly three times as high for those who live in remote and very remote areas as those who live in the cities.
The report found swimming skills were at crisis levels, particularly among those without access to lessons and pools.
And half of all children leave primary school unable to swim 50 metres and float for two minutes, causing lifelong risk.
Scarr said, “So much of our discourse is about wealthy postcodes and very expensive pools, and not enough about suburbs like St Marys where the public lacks access to a great local pool. Every Australian, regardless of postcode or background, must have access to swimming lessons, a great local swimming pool or a safe place to swim.”
Country of birth and location
People born overseas accounted for a third of deaths, but most were residents of Australia, the data suggests. It found most people drowned within 10 kilometres of where they lived.
The highest number of people born overseas who drowned were those from the United Kingdom, China, India, Malaysia, Nepal and Papua New Guinea.
Nearly a third (30 per cent) of drowning deaths occurred in December and January, with these deaths tracked annually in the Summer Drowning toll. This year, drowning deaths in April doubled, when school holidays coincided with Easter, Anzac Day and school holidays.
Drownings on beaches, at the ocean and rocks accounted for 43 per cent of the national drowning burden.
Surf Life Saving’s Weir said rip currents remained the top coastal hazard, responsible for more than one in three beach drowning deaths – claiming more lives than sharks, floods, or cyclones combined.
“Never have our surf lifesavers and lifeguards worked harder to keep people safe at beaches, with almost 2.2 million preventative actions and over 8000 rescues.”
In addition, 121 people died inland, in dams, rivers/creeks and lakes and dams, up 23 per cent on the 10-year average. Deaths in pools rose 6 per cent from the 10-year average to 25.
Releasing the report, Wells said the government was committed to responding to the changing drowning patterns.
NSW reported the most drowning deaths, 129, up nearly 30 per cent on the 10-year average, with men over 75 years accounting for 16 per cent of deaths. Victoria reported 52 deaths, an 8 per cent increase on the 10-year average.
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