World Health Organization
منظمة الصحة العالمية
Organisation mondiale de la Santé

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Anyone can drown, no one should

World Drowning Prevention Day 2025

World Drowning Prevention Day is held annually on 25 July. This global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and offer life-saving solutions to prevent it. An estimated 236,000 people drown every year, and drowning is among the ten leading causes of death for children aged 5-14 years.

The theme of this year’s campaign is: Your story can save a life: drowning prevention through shared experiences.  

Facts about drowning

Of the estimated 300 000 drowning deaths that occurred globally in 2021, 12% (35 000 deaths) were in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

The Eastern Mediterranean has the second highest drowning death rate of all WHO regions

The Region has the highest drowning death rate among children aged 0–4 of all WHO regions.

Read all facts

Key risk factors

Sex

The drowning death rate among males is at least twice as high as among females.

Age

Children and youth aged up to 29 years account for 83% of drowning deaths regionally.

Migration

Studies show that migrants have a higher risk of drowning in the Region.

Read all risk factors

Saving more lives

Teaching communities about water safety and developing national drowning prevention plans help keep people safe around water.

Find out more