Drowning Facts: Common Questions Answered

About 4,000 people died from unintentional drowning each year in the United States from 2012 to 2021, an average of 11 deaths a day, according to the CDC (opens in a new tab). The newest CDC count is higher: over 4,500 a year in 2020-2022 (opens in a new tab), about 500 more a year than in 2019. Around 8,000 more people a year survive a drowning and are treated in emergency rooms. The drowning disparities guide explains who is most affected and why.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning death rate of any age group in the U.S. Their rate was 3.1 per 100,000 in both 2021 and 2022, about 28% to 29% higher than in 2019, according to CDC's Vital Signs report (opens in a new tab). Adults 65 and older have the second-highest rate, and it has been rising for decades. See water safety for toddlers and water safety for older adults.

Source: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Yes. More children ages 1 to 4 die from drowning than from any other cause of death in the United States, according to the CDC (opens in a new tab). For children 5 to 14, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury death, after motor vehicle crashes. Most young children who drown were not expected to be near water at the time, so locked doors and pool fences matter as much as swim-time supervision. Start with our room-by-room hazard checklist.

Source: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)

It depends on age. Three-quarters of drownings of babies under 1 happen in bathtubs (CDC (opens in a new tab)). For young children, home pools are the biggest risk: 71% of child pool and spa drowning deaths in 2021-2023 happened at a home, and the child's own home was the most common place (51%), according to CPSC (opens in a new tab). For ages 5 to 14, over 40% of drownings happen in natural water such as lakes and rivers. See bath time safety and the pool safety checklist.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), cpsc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Drowning can happen in seconds, and it is often silent, according to the CDC (opens in a new tab). A person in the instinctive drowning response may struggle at the surface for only 20 to 60 seconds before going under, as a retired Coast Guard rescue swimmer explains in an article published by the U.S. Army (opens in a new tab). Most children who drowned in pools or spas had been missing for 5 minutes or less (CPSC (opens in a new tab)). If a child is missing, check the water first. Learn the signs in what drowning looks like.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), army.mil (opens in a new tab), cpsc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Very little. A child can drown in as little as 2 inches of water, quickly and silently, according to CPSC (opens in a new tab). The AAP (opens in a new tab) says babies can drown in just 1 or 2 inches because they don't have much neck and muscle control. That makes bathtubs, buckets, toilets, coolers and wading pools real hazards. Empty containers right after use. See buckets, coolers and containers.

Sources: cpsc.gov (opens in a new tab), healthychildren.org (opens in a new tab)

Males. Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning in the U.S. are male, according to the CDC (opens in a new tab). The pattern holds outdoors too: at U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lakes and rivers in 2024, 94% of people who drowned were male and 91% were not wearing life jackets (USACE via DVIDS (opens in a new tab)). Our guide on why boys and men drown more looks at the reasons and what helps.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), dvidshub.net (opens in a new tab)

A nonfatal drowning is a drowning that the person survives. The CDC (opens in a new tab) defines drowning as breathing problems caused by being under or in water, and notes that drowning is not always fatal. About 8,000 nonfatal drownings are treated in U.S. emergency rooms each year (2012-2021 average). Outcomes range from no injury to brain damage or permanent disability. Anyone who needed rescue breaths or lost consciousness needs medical care. See Nonfatal drowning and symptoms after a scare in the water.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), watersafetyusa.org (opens in a new tab)

In the U.S., yes, in recent years. The CDC reports that the drowning death rate rose from 1.2 per 100,000 people in 2019 to 1.4 in 2020 and 2021 and 1.3 in 2022 (MMWR (opens in a new tab)). Worldwide the trend runs the other way: the WHO (opens in a new tab) says the global drowning death rate has fallen 38% since 2000, from 6.1 to 3.8 per 100,000, though around 300,000 people still drown each year. Our drowning myths and facts page covers what the numbers mean for families.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), who.int (opens in a new tab)

Mostly access and history. The CDC (opens in a new tab) reports that Black people under 30 drown at 1.5 times the rate of White people, and American Indian and Alaska Native people at twice the rate (1999-2019). CDC links swimming gaps to segregated pools, pool closures after integration and clubs that excluded Black families, and many people still lack a nearby pool. In 2023, 36.8% of Black adults said they could not swim, compared with 6.9% of White adults (MMWR (opens in a new tab)). Read drowning disparities and water safety in desi communities.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)

About 40 million U.S. adults, or 15.4% of those surveyed, said they do not know how to swim in 2023, and more than half (54.7%) had never taken a swimming lesson (CDC MMWR (opens in a new tab)). Self-reported skill can be generous: in a 2020 Red Cross survey (opens in a new tab), only 56% of people who said they could swim could do all five basic water safety skills. It is never too late to learn. See learning to swim as an adult.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), redcross.org (opens in a new tab)

Yes. Nearly 90 children drown inside the home every year, and two-thirds of those deaths happen in the bathtub, according to CPSC (opens in a new tab). Bathtubs are also the most common drowning site for people with seizure disorders (CDC (opens in a new tab)). Keep a hand on babies, never leave a child in the tub or with another child, and have people with seizures consider showers instead of baths. See bath time safety.

Sources: cpsc.gov (opens in a new tab), cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Yes, a large one. Among teens and adults, alcohol is involved in up to 70% of deaths linked to water recreation such as swimming and boating (CDC (opens in a new tab)). In 2024 it was the leading known contributing factor in fatal boating incidents, listed as the leading factor in 20% of deaths (U.S. Coast Guard (opens in a new tab)). These figures measure different things, but the advice is the same: no alcohol before or during swimming or boating, or while watching children. See alcohol and swimming.

Sources: cdc.gov (opens in a new tab), uscgboating.org (opens in a new tab), cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)

Around 300,000 people die from drowning worldwide each year, according to the WHO fact sheet (opens in a new tab) (updated May 2026). Ninety-two percent of those deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries, and children under 5 make up nearly a quarter. In Bangladesh, over 14,000 children drown each year (WHO and UNICEF, 2022 (opens in a new tab)). In 2021 the UN named 25 July World Drowning Prevention Day.

Sources: who.int (opens in a new tab), unicef.org (opens in a new tab)

Pick one layer of protection and finish it today. No single layer prevents every drowning, so the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (opens in a new tab) recommends using them together: barriers and alarms, supervision, water skills, life jackets and emergency preparation. Quick wins: empty buckets and wading pools, lock the door to the pool or yard, name a Water Watcher for the next swim, and book a CPR class. The walks you through it, and the family water safety plan guide explains each step.

Sources: ndpa.org (opens in a new tab), cdc.gov (opens in a new tab)