Drowning data
Drowning by Race and Ethnicity
Drowning does not affect every community equally. These CDC numbers show where the gaps are, so communities can work to close them.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander people
2.56
Drowning deaths per 100,000, age-adjusted, 2020-2024
American Indian or Alaska Native people
2.36
Per 100,000, age-adjusted, 2020-2024
Black adults who cannot swim
36.8%
Self-reported, 2023
Key takeaways
- From 2020 to 2024, the highest drowning death rates were among Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander people (2.56 per 100,000) and American Indian or Alaska Native people (2.36). (CDC WONDER (opens in a new tab), 2020-2024)
- The rate for Black or African American people (1.65) was higher than the rate for White people (1.19). (CDC WONDER (opens in a new tab), 2020-2024)
- In 2023, 36.8% of Black adults and 25.8% of Hispanic or Latino adults said they did not know how to swim, compared with 6.9% of White adults. (CDC MMWR Vital Signs, May 2024 (opens in a new tab), 2023)
- Only 45.3% of U.S. adults said they had ever taken a swimming lesson. (CDC MMWR Vital Signs, May 2024 (opens in a new tab), 2023)
- Among children, the drowning death rate for non-Hispanic Black children was 1.6 per 100,000 in 2019, higher than 1.0 for non-Hispanic White children. (NCHS Data Brief 413 (opens in a new tab), 2019)
Drowning death rates by race and Hispanic origin
Five years are pooled so that smaller groups have stable rates. Rates are age-adjusted, so groups with younger or older populations can be compared fairly.
Drowning death rate by race and Hispanic origin, 2020-2024
Average annual rate per 100,000, age-adjusted, excluding boating (W65-W74)
Excluding boating (W65-W74). A single CDC WONDER query for the five years together; its rates are average annual rates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race.
Source: CDC WONDER (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Show the data table
| Race and Hispanic origin | Deaths, 2020-2024 | Average annual age-adjusted rate per 100,000 | 95% confidence interval | Crude rate per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native | 280 | 2.36 | 2.09 to 2.67 | 2.30 |
| Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 82 | 2.56 | 2.03 to 3.19 | 2.56 |
| Non-Hispanic Black or African American | 3,422 | 1.65 | 1.60 to 1.71 | 1.62 |
| Non-Hispanic White | 12,300 | 1.19 | 1.16 to 1.21 | 1.25 |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,372 | 1.05 | 1.01 to 1.08 | 1.05 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian | 986 | 0.96 | 0.90 to 1.02 | 0.97 |
| Non-Hispanic More than one race | 366 | 0.89 | 0.79 to 1.01 | 0.92 |
| All races and origins | 20,866 | 1.22 | 1.20 to 1.24 | 1.25 |
| Hispanic origin not stated | 58 | Not applicable | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Rates year by year
Age-adjusted rate per 100,000, excluding boating. Single years have fewer deaths, so they move around more.
| Year | American Indian or Alaska Native | Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | Black or African American | White | Hispanic or Latino (any race) | Asian | More than one race |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2.65 | 2.17 | 1.54 | 1.08 | 0.87 | 0.97 | 0.87 |
| 2019 | 2.85 | Suppressed (1-9 deaths) | 1.40 | 1.09 | 0.89 | 0.93 | 0.85 |
| 2020 | 2.54 | 3.57 | 1.66 | 1.23 | 1.03 | 1.01 | 0.91 |
| 2021 | 2.41 | 2.75 | 1.78 | 1.26 | 1.03 | 1.12 | 0.85 |
| 2022 | 2.52 | 2.38 | 1.52 | 1.18 | 1.12 | 0.82 | 0.93 |
| 2023 | 2.27 | 1.85 | 1.57 | 1.11 | 1.02 | 0.96 | 1.06 |
| 2024 | 2.02 | 2.24 | 1.63 | 1.15 | 1.07 | 0.98 | 0.78 |
Excluding boating (W65-W74). Rates per 100,000, age-adjusted. Race groups are non-Hispanic.
Source: CDC WONDER (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Children
Drowning death rates for children 0-17, 1999-2019
Per 100,000 children, by race and Hispanic origin
- Non-Hispanic Black
- Non-Hispanic White
- Hispanic
Crude rates per 100,000 children (W65-W74). The brief reports these three groups.
Source: NCHS Data Brief 413 (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Show the data table
| Year | Non-Hispanic Black, rate | Non-Hispanic White, rate | Hispanic, rate | Non-Hispanic Black, deaths | Non-Hispanic White, deaths | Hispanic, deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 1.4 | 298 | 600 | 172 |
| 2000 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 270 | 658 | 163 |
| 2001 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 248 | 580 | 151 |
| 2002 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 249 | 548 | 144 |
| 2003 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 178 | 545 | 161 |
| 2004 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 203 | 528 | 142 |
| 2005 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.2 | 197 | 555 | 178 |
| 2006 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 201 | 505 | 177 |
| 2007 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.0 | 184 | 509 | 160 |
| 2008 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 195 | 479 | 165 |
| 2009 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 182 | 466 | 176 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 193 | 501 | 145 |
| 2011 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 194 | 437 | 185 |
| 2012 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 213 | 442 | 128 |
| 2013 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 174 | 405 | 128 |
| 2014 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 191 | 402 | 127 |
| 2015 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 171 | 406 | 128 |
| 2016 | 1.8 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 198 | 452 | 159 |
| 2017 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 0.8 | 205 | 415 | 142 |
| 2018 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 195 | 399 | 158 |
| 2019 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 179 | 376 | 146 |
Who can swim, and who has had lessons
From CDC’s 2023 survey: “An estimated 40 million adults (15.4% of survey respondents) reported not knowing how to swim.” Swimming skills and lessons differ a lot between communities.
Adults who say they cannot swim, 2023
Percent of U.S. adults, self-reported
Self-reported, adults 18 and older, NCHS Rapid Surveys System (October-November 2023). Black, White and Other are non-Hispanic. "Other" includes Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Middle Eastern or North African, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and multiracial adults.
Source: CDC MMWR Vital Signs, May 2024 (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Show the data table
| Group | Does not know how to swim (%) | 95% CI, cannot swim | Has ever taken a swimming lesson (%) | 95% CI, ever taken a lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All adults | 15.4% | 14.3 to 16.6 | 45.3% | 43.8 to 46.8 |
| Women | 19.4% | 17.8 to 21.2 | 44.8% | 42.9 to 46.8 |
| Men | 11.2% | 9.8 to 12.7 | 45.8% | 43.6 to 48.0 |
| Ages 18-29 | 12.4% | 9.9 to 15.3 | 46.9% | 42.9 to 50.9 |
| Ages 30-44 | 15.6% | 13.3 to 18.1 | 47.0% | 44.0 to 50.1 |
| Ages 45-64 | 15.0% | 13.1 to 16.9 | 44.7% | 42.3 to 47.1 |
| Ages 65 and older | 18.6% | 16.6 to 20.7 | 42.6% | 40.1 to 45.1 |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 36.8% | 32.4 to 41.4 | 36.9% | 32.7 to 41.2 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6.9% | 6.1 to 7.8 | 51.8% | 50.1 to 53.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25.8% | 22.5 to 29.3 | 28.1% | 24.7 to 31.6 |
| Other (non-Hispanic) | 22.4% | 17.9 to 27.5 | 46.6% | 41.2 to 52.1 |
Adults who have ever taken a swimming lesson, 2023
Percent of U.S. adults, self-reported
Self-reported, adults 18 and older, NCHS Rapid Surveys System (October-November 2023). Black, White and Other are non-Hispanic. "Other" includes Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Middle Eastern or North African, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and multiracial adults.
Source: CDC MMWR Vital Signs, May 2024 (opens in a new tab). Retrieved .
Show the data table
| Group | Does not know how to swim (%) | 95% CI, cannot swim | Has ever taken a swimming lesson (%) | 95% CI, ever taken a lesson |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All adults | 15.4% | 14.3 to 16.6 | 45.3% | 43.8 to 46.8 |
| Women | 19.4% | 17.8 to 21.2 | 44.8% | 42.9 to 46.8 |
| Men | 11.2% | 9.8 to 12.7 | 45.8% | 43.6 to 48.0 |
| Ages 18-29 | 12.4% | 9.9 to 15.3 | 46.9% | 42.9 to 50.9 |
| Ages 30-44 | 15.6% | 13.3 to 18.1 | 47.0% | 44.0 to 50.1 |
| Ages 45-64 | 15.0% | 13.1 to 16.9 | 44.7% | 42.3 to 47.1 |
| Ages 65 and older | 18.6% | 16.6 to 20.7 | 42.6% | 40.1 to 45.1 |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 36.8% | 32.4 to 41.4 | 36.9% | 32.7 to 41.2 |
| White (non-Hispanic) | 6.9% | 6.1 to 7.8 | 51.8% | 50.1 to 53.5 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 25.8% | 22.5 to 29.3 | 28.1% | 24.7 to 31.6 |
| Other (non-Hispanic) | 22.4% | 17.9 to 27.5 | 46.6% | 41.2 to 52.1 |
South Asian and desi communities
What these numbers can and cannot show
CDC’s data put all Asian Americans in one group. The rate for that group from 2020 to 2024 was 0.96 per 100,000. These data cannot show drowning among South Asian (desi) Americans on their own.
For South Asia itself, WHO estimates are on our global data page.
The Amin family’s founding statement (September 4, 2022) says: “Lack of water safety/swimming education is rampant in the desi community as well as in other minority communities in the United States.” The foundation is working toward water-safety education and swimming lessons for these communities.
Methodology
- Race and Hispanic origin
- Race and Hispanic origin on death certificates are reported by a funeral director, often from family members. Population counts come from the Census, where people describe themselves. CDC warns that the difference can bias rates by race. Hispanic or Latino people can be of any race; the race groups shown are non-Hispanic.
- What counts as a drowning death
- CDC counts deaths by the underlying cause on the death certificate, using ICD-10 codes. W65-W74 is unintentional drowning and submersion (bathtub, pool, natural water, other and unspecified). V90 and V92 add drowning in boating and other water-transport accidents. CDC’s headline figures use W65-W74 plus V90 and V92, so most charts here show that wider definition and say so.
- Rates
- A rate is deaths per 100,000 people. Age-adjusted rates remove the effect of a population getting older or younger, so years and groups can be compared fairly. CDC age-adjusts to the 2000 U.S. standard population. An age-group rate is deaths per 100,000 people in that age group.
- Suppressed and unreliable values
- CDC WONDER hides counts of 1 to 9 deaths to protect privacy, and does not publish a rate that is too unstable to trust. We show these as "Suppressed" or "Unreliable", never as a number or a zero. "Not applicable" means there is no population figure, so no rate exists.
- The swimming survey
- The swimming questions come from CDC’s NCHS Rapid Surveys System (Round 2, October-November 2023). Adults 18 and older described their own skills and lessons, so the answers are self-reported. Black, White and Other are non-Hispanic. Other includes Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Middle Eastern or North African, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and multiracial adults.
Data last checked . We copy numbers exactly as the source publishes them. We do not estimate, model or add up numbers. Found a mistake? Tell us and we will check it against the source.
Sources
- CDC WONDER: Underlying Cause of Death (final data, 1999-2024) (opens in a new tab) CDC, National Center for Health Statistics
- NCHS Data Brief 413: Unintentional Drowning Deaths Among Children Aged 0-17 Years, 1999-2019 (opens in a new tab) CDC, National Center for Health Statistics
- Vital Signs: Drowning Death Rates, Self-Reported Swimming Skill, Swimming Lesson Participation, and Recreational Water Exposure, 2019-2023 (opens in a new tab) CDC, MMWR
- Underlying Cause of Death documentation (suppression and reliability rules) (opens in a new tab) CDC WONDER
What you can do today
- Make a family water safety plan
Pick a water watcher, set the rules and know what to do in an emergency.
- Check your home for water hazards
Bathtubs, buckets and pools: the layers of protection for young children.
- Find swimming lessons near you
It is never too late to learn. Lessons help children and adults.
- Learn the signs of drowning
Drowning is often quiet. Know what it looks like and what to do.