The first-ever Global status report on drowning prevention details the scale of global drowning fatalities, and progress made in advancing strategies and actions to reduce drowning around the world.

The report shows that the rate of deaths from drowning dropped by 38% between the year 2000 and 2021. Yet drowning remains a major public health issue, with more than 300 000 fatalities in 2021.

Drowning predominately impacts children an young people and more than nine in ten deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.

The report presents a benchmark against which to track drowning prevention progress over time – at global, regional and national levels - and to galvanize meaningful multisectoral collaboration within governments, organizations, societies and across the United Nations.