Every year, an estimated 236,000 people drown, making drowning a major public health problem worldwide. Drowning is one of the leading causes of death globally for children and young people aged 1-24 years. Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7% of all injury-related deaths.
The global burden of death from drowning is felt in all economies and regions, however:
low- and middle-income countries account for over 90% of unintentional drowning deaths;
over half of the world's drowning occurs in the WHO Western Pacific Region and WHO South-East Asia Region;
drowning death rates are highest in the WHO Western Pacific Region, and are 27-32 times higher than those seen in the United Kingdom or Germany, respectively.
