146 people drowned in Netherlands last year; Half of victims older than 60

Last year, 146 people drowned in the Netherlands, 107 locals and 39 residents of other countries. Almost half of the victims were over 60 years old, and many of them died after falling into the water, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported on Friday.

There were seven more drownings last year than in 2023, and the number was well above the ten-year average. In the past decade, an average of 120 people drowned per year, 91 locals and 29 foreigners, like tourists, undocumented migrants, or migrant workers.

The number of accidental drownings is highest among people aged 60 and older, accounting for nearly half of the total last year. Over the past decade, an average of 0.5 people per 100,000 Netherlands residents have drowned. In the 60 and older age group, the drawing rate is 0.9 per 100,000 residents.

Three-quarters of drownings in the past decade occurred in open water. This applies to all age groups. In over a quarter of the cases, the cause of the drowning was unknown. Of the cases where the cause was known, 63 percent of drownings occurred after a fall, 21 percent while swimming, and 12 percent while bathing in a bathtub.

Older people over 60 were most likely to drown after falling into the water (69 percent of the past decade’s drownings), and teenagers are the least likely (27 percent). Of child drowning victims under the age of ten, 58 percent drowned after falling into the water. “Causes of falls include slipping, alcohol use, being unwell, or dementia.” Teenagers most often drown while swimming.

In the past ten years, most people drowned in the Amsterdam-Amstelland and Rotterdam Rijnmond security regions. There were 89 accidental drownings in both regions, representing 20 percent of the total.