98 cases of drowning in 2023

25/07/2024 15:00

A total of 98 people resident in the Netherlands drowned in open water or in their home or garden in 2023. That was 25 more than in the previous year, and slightly above average for the past decade. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of provisional figures on causes of death.

Over the past decade, an average of 88 people have lost their lives each year as a result of accidental drowning. Three-quarters of the 877 drownings that occurred during that period were in open water, such as in a river, canal, drainage channel, lake, or in the sea. Twenty percent of drownings took place in or around the home, such as in the bath or in a garden pond.

Between 2014 and 2023, 27 people not resident in the Netherlands, such as tourists or temporary workers, also drowned in the Netherlands.

Fatalities due to accidental drowning
Jaar	Number of cases (residents of the Netherlands)
2014	77
2015	83
2016	86
2017	85
2018	112
2019	76
2020	107
2021	80
2022	73
2023*	98
* provisional figures

Fatalities due to accidental drowning
Jaar	Number of cases (residents of the Netherlands)
2014	77
2015	83
2016	86
2017	85
2018	112
2019	76
2020	107
2021	80
2022	73
2023*	98
* provisional figures

Over-60s are the most likely to drown

In recent decades, the number of accidental drownings has been highest among those aged 60 and over. Between 2014 and 2023, there were an average of 0.9 drownings per hundred thousand people aged 60 and over. Among children under the age of 10, the incidence was 0.4 per hundred thousand. In the 1950s, by contrast, young children made up a much higher proportion of fatalities due to drowning. However, between 1950 and 1980 the number of drownings dropped rapidly across all age groups. The drop became more gradual after that.

The older figures have been recalculated based on the age structure of the 2023 population (a statistical technique known as standardisation), in order to account for factors such as the ageing of the population.

Fatalities due to accidental drowning, standardised
Jaar	Younger than 10 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	10-19 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	20-39 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	40-59 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	60 yrs and over (per 100,000 inhabitants)
1950	11.9	3.9	2.3	3.0	5.2
1951	9.9	2.7	2.2	2.2	5.1
1952	9.6	3.2	1.9	3.2	4.7
1953	11.4	4.1	2.0	1.7	4.0
1954	9.9	3.0	1.6	1.8	4.6
1955	9.2	4.2	2.0	1.9	6.3
1956	8.9	2.4	1.3	1.7	4.7
1957	9.4	4.2	2.0	1.5	6.5
1958	10.0	2.7	1.3	1.9	4.0
1959	10.0	4.5	2.3	1.3	4.0
1960	9.2	2.0	0.9	1.0	4.4
1961	9.6	3.0	1.7	1.2	4.3
1962	7.7	2.5	1.1	1.5	3.9
1963	9.5	2.4	1.5	1.2	3.7
1964	8.6	2.9	1.3	1.5	4.4
1965	8.1	1.9	1.4	1.7	3.2
1966	8.7	2.9	1.2	1.6	4.7
1967	8.5	3.2	1.6	1.3	3.7
1968	6.7	1.6	1.1	1.4	3.2
1969	6.8	2.1	1.4	1.0	2.8
1970	6.1	1.6	1.2	1.2	2.5
1971	6.7	0.9	1.3	1.0	2.7
1972	6.2	1.0	0.8	1.2	2.6
1973	6.2	1.2	1.2	1.4	2.0
1974	6.1	0.6	0.6	1.3	2.1
1975	5.4	0.7	1.2	1.6	2.3
1976	4.9	0.8	0.9	1.5	2.1
1977	4.2	0.4	0.3	0.3	1.9
1978	4.4	0.5	0.7	0.8	1.6
1979	4.4	0.5	0.4	0.7	1.5
1980	3.1	0.4	0.5	0.7	1.1
1981	3.9	0.5	0.7	0.9	1.4
1982	4.3	0.6	0.7	0.9	1.6
1983	2.9	0.4	0.7	1.1	1.3
1984	2.5	0.4	0.5	0.9	0.7
1985	2.5	0.6	0.3	0.8	1.0
1986	2.3	0.4	0.6	0.9	0.7
1987	2.1	0.4	0.2	0.7	0.7
1988	2.1	0.2	0.3	0.6	0.9
1989	1.6	0.2	0.3	0.7	1.3
1990	2.3	0.5	0.3	0.7	0.9
1991	1.9	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.7
1992	1.7	0.3	0.3	0.5	1.0
1993	1.7	0.2	0.3	0.6	0.7
1994	1.6	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.9
1995	1.5	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.9
1996	1.5	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3
1997	1.8	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.7
1998	1.2	0.1	0.4	0.5	0.5
1999	1.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.7
2000	1.2	0.1	0.3	0.8	1.1
2001	0.9	0.3	0.2	0.6	0.9
2002	1.4	0.4	0.2	0.7	1.2
2003	0.7	0.3	0.3	0.6	1.0
2004	1.0	0.3	0.2	0.7	0.9
2005	0.9	0.2	0.2	0.5	1.1
2006	0.7	0.2	0.1	0.6	1.2
2007	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.9
2008	0.7	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.9
2009	0.7	0.1	0.3	0.6	0.8
2010	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.4	0.8
2011	0.2	0.1	0.4	0.5	0.9
2012	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.8
2013	0.4	0.5	0.2	0.5	0.8
2014	0.5	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.9
2015	0.4	0.1	0.4	0.4	1.0
2016	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.4	1.0
2017	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.8
2018	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.6	1.1
2019	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.9
2020	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.5	1.2
2021	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.8
2022	0.3	0.2	0.4	0.4	0.6
2023*	0.2	0.2	0.5	0.6	0.9
*provisional figures

Fatalities due to accidental drowning, standardised
Jaar	Younger than 10 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	10-19 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	20-39 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	40-59 yrs (per 100,000 inhabitants)	60 yrs and over (per 100,000 inhabitants)
1950	11.9	3.9	2.3	3.0	5.2
1951	9.9	2.7	2.2	2.2	5.1
1952	9.6	3.2	1.9	3.2	4.7
1953	11.4	4.1	2.0	1.7	4.0
1954	9.9	3.0	1.6	1.8	4.6
1955	9.2	4.2	2.0	1.9	6.3
1956	8.9	2.4	1.3	1.7	4.7
1957	9.4	4.2	2.0	1.5	6.5
1958	10.0	2.7	1.3	1.9	4.0
1959	10.0	4.5	2.3	1.3	4.0
1960	9.2	2.0	0.9	1.0	4.4
1961	9.6	3.0	1.7	1.2	4.3
1962	7.7	2.5	1.1	1.5	3.9
1963	9.5	2.4	1.5	1.2	3.7
1964	8.6	2.9	1.3	1.5	4.4
1965	8.1	1.9	1.4	1.7	3.2
1966	8.7	2.9	1.2	1.6	4.7
1967	8.5	3.2	1.6	1.3	3.7
1968	6.7	1.6	1.1	1.4	3.2
1969	6.8	2.1	1.4	1.0	2.8
1970	6.1	1.6	1.2	1.2	2.5
1971	6.7	0.9	1.3	1.0	2.7
1972	6.2	1.0	0.8	1.2	2.6
1973	6.2	1.2	1.2	1.4	2.0
1974	6.1	0.6	0.6	1.3	2.1
1975	5.4	0.7	1.2	1.6	2.3
1976	4.9	0.8	0.9	1.5	2.1
1977	4.2	0.4	0.3	0.3	1.9
1978	4.4	0.5	0.7	0.8	1.6
1979	4.4	0.5	0.4	0.7	1.5
1980	3.1	0.4	0.5	0.7	1.1
1981	3.9	0.5	0.7	0.9	1.4
1982	4.3	0.6	0.7	0.9	1.6
1983	2.9	0.4	0.7	1.1	1.3
1984	2.5	0.4	0.5	0.9	0.7
1985	2.5	0.6	0.3	0.8	1.0
1986	2.3	0.4	0.6	0.9	0.7
1987	2.1	0.4	0.2	0.7	0.7
1988	2.1	0.2	0.3	0.6	0.9
1989	1.6	0.2	0.3	0.7	1.3
1990	2.3	0.5	0.3	0.7	0.9
1991	1.9	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.7
1992	1.7	0.3	0.3	0.5	1.0
1993	1.7	0.2	0.3	0.6	0.7
1994	1.6	0.5	0.4	0.5	0.9
1995	1.5	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.9
1996	1.5	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3
1997	1.8	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.7
1998	1.2	0.1	0.4	0.5	0.5
1999	1.4	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.7
2000	1.2	0.1	0.3	0.8	1.1
2001	0.9	0.3	0.2	0.6	0.9
2002	1.4	0.4	0.2	0.7	1.2
2003	0.7	0.3	0.3	0.6	1.0
2004	1.0	0.3	0.2	0.7	0.9
2005	0.9	0.2	0.2	0.5	1.1
2006	0.7	0.2	0.1	0.6	1.2
2007	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.9
2008	0.7	0.2	0.2	0.4	0.9
2009	0.7	0.1	0.3	0.6	0.8
2010	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.4	0.8
2011	0.2	0.1	0.4	0.5	0.9
2012	0.5	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.8
2013	0.4	0.5	0.2	0.5	0.8
2014	0.5	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.9
2015	0.4	0.1	0.4	0.4	1.0
2016	0.4	0.3	0.3	0.4	1.0
2017	0.4	0.4	0.4	0.5	0.8
2018	0.5	0.3	0.5	0.6	1.1
2019	0.3	0.2	0.3	0.3	0.9
2020	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.5	1.2
2021	0.3	0.3	0.4	0.3	0.8
2022	0.3	0.2	0.4	0.4	0.6
2023*	0.2	0.2	0.5	0.6	0.9
*provisional figures

Higher incidence of drowning among children born outside the Netherlands

Between 2014 and 2023, 64 children under the age of 10 drowned, and 50 more aged 10 to 19. Of these, around half were of non-Dutch origin: they were either born abroad themselves (migrants), or one or both of their parents were born abroad (second generation).

Among children aged under 10 who were born in a country outside Europe, mortality due to drowning was 9 times higher than among children of Dutch origin. Among those in the 10-19 age group, it was 14 times higher. Children of non-European migrants under the age of 10 who were born in the Netherlands, but whose parents were not, also have a higher risk of drowning than children of Dutch origin.

Fatalities due to accidental drowning, by origin, 2014-2023*
Leeftijd	Non-European, migrant (per 100,000 inhabitants)	Non-European, 2nd generation (per 100,000 inhabitants)	European, migrant (per 100,000 inhabitants)	European, 2nd generation (per 100,000 inhabitants)	Dutch (per 100,000 inhabitants)
0-9 yrs	2.18	0.82	0.00	0.09	0.23
10-19 yrs	2.18	0.10	0.71	0.12	0.16
20-39 yrs	0.87	0.37	0.75	0.64	0.24
40-59 yrs	0.67	0.42	1.03	0.54	0.34
60 yrs and over	1.10	0.00	1.03	0.91	0.91
*provisional figures

Fatalities due to accidental drowning, by origin, 2014-2023*
Leeftijd	Non-European, migrant (per 100,000 inhabitants)	Non-European, 2nd generation (per 100,000 inhabitants)	European, migrant (per 100,000 inhabitants)	European, 2nd generation (per 100,000 inhabitants)	Dutch (per 100,000 inhabitants)
0-9 yrs	2.18	0.82	0.00	0.09	0.23
10-19 yrs	2.18	0.10	0.71	0.12	0.16
20-39 yrs	0.87	0.37	0.75	0.64	0.24
40-59 yrs	0.67	0.42	1.03	0.54	0.34
60 yrs and over	1.10	0.00	1.03	0.91	0.91
*provisional figures

Sources

StatLine - Deaths; cause of death (extensive list), age and sex
StatLine - Deaths; underlying cause of death (shortlist), sex, age

Over-60s are the most likely to drown

Higher incidence of drowning among children born outside the Netherlands

Sources

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