Drowning risk 14 times higher for teens born outside Europe

Of the people living in the Netherlands, children and teenagers born outside Europe are much more likely to drown than their Dutch counterparts. The drowning risk for teenagers born outside Europe is nearly 14 times higher than for teens born in the Netherlands, Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reported after analyzing the drowning figures of the past decade.

From 2016 through 2025, 930 residents of the Netherlands drowned. Among them were 57 children under the age of 10, and 53 teenagers between the ages of 10 and 20. Of these, more than half had a non-Dutch background: they were immigrants or one or both of their parents were born abroad.

“Especially among young children and teenagers, there is a large difference in the risk of drowning between Dutch and other backgrounds,” CBS said. Children aged 10 or younger born outside Europe were 8 times more likely to drown. Among 10- to 20-year-olds, drowning was almost 14 times more likely.

Last year, 100 residents of the Netherlands drowned. Of these, 37 percent had a non-Dutch background. In 2024, 113 residents drowned, of whom 27 percent had a non-Dutch background. 32 people who did not live in the Netherlands drowned in Dutch waters in 2025, and 39 in 2024. This includes tourists and people without a residency permit.

Over the past decade, an average of 93 residents drowned per year, mainly men. On average, 62 had a Dutch background, and 31 had a non-Dutch background. Also, an average of 30 people who did not live in the Netherlands drowned per year.

From 2016 through 2025, 296 people drowned in the Netherlands who were not residents. 90 percent of this group were male, and over a quarter came from Poland. This group included seven children and 26 teenagers.