Drownings in Netherlands rise to 107, highest in a decade; seniors hit hardest
The Netherlands recorded 107 accidental drownings in 2024, marking a rise compared to previous years and surpassing the long-term annual average. Provisional figures from the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) show that half of those who drowned last year were over the age of 60, according to De Volkskrant.
The average number of drownings over the past decade was just over 89 per year. The CBS data do not include deaths by suicide, homicide, or traffic accidents involving water. In addition to Dutch residents, there have historically been about 27 drownings each year among tourists and labor migrants between 2014 and 2023, though figures for these groups in 2024 have not yet been released.
According to the National Council for Swimming Safety (Nationale Raad Zwemveiligheid, NRZ) and the Netherlands Institute for Water Location Safety (Nederlands Instituut Veiligheid Zwemlocatie, NIVZ), the risk of drowning increases when swimmers are poorly prepared or overestimate their swimming ability. Inland waters—such as recreational lakes and ditches—pose the greatest danger. By contrast, the likelihood of drowning in the sea is significantly lower.
Older adults, particularly men, accounted for most drowning victims. The NRZ noted that many seniors may have lost swimming skills or seen their physical condition decline, causing them to misjudge their ability to stay safe in the water. Men are proportionally more likely to drown than women, while drownings among young people aged 10 to 20 remain much lower.
The recent rise in drowning deaths comes after a steep decline over the last 60 years. The NIVZ pointed out that significant improvements in swimming safety were made between 1960 and 1990, including the introduction of school swimming lessons in the 1960s. However, school swimming stopped being mandatory after 1985, and fewer schools have offered lessons since the 1990s.
Between 1990 and 2024, fewer new measures were implemented to improve swimming safety. In recent years, the campaign Wie Checkt Jou? Veilig in en uit het water (“Who’s Watching You? Safe In and Out of the Water”) was launched by several organizations to encourage swimmers to be more aware of their personal safety when entering and exiting the water.
