Media Release – 10 September 2026

313 lives lost to drowning as new report highlights persistent risks ahead of summer

Australia recorded 313 drowning deaths in 2025/26. While this is an improvement on the record 357 deaths reported in 2024/25, the toll remains unacceptably high, still 10% above the 10-year average.

The Natonal Drowning Report 2026, published by Royal Life Saving Australia in partnership with Surf Life Saving Australia, shows the naton is not on track to meet the 50% drowning reducton target set by the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030.

Drowning deaths among children under five fell to 11 fatalites, 39% below the 10-year average, a result of sustained investment in pool fencing, legislation, and public education. 55% occurred in backyard swimming pools.

Children aged 5-14 years had the lowest drowning rates, but drowning rates rises rapidly among adolescents and young adults. Thirty-four people aged 15-24 years drowned, 3% above the 10-year average.

Older Australians accounted for almost one third (30%) of all drowning deaths, with 95 people aged 65 years and older drowning in 2025/26. Drowning rates were above the 10-year average for every age group over 45 years, with those aged 65-74 recording the highest rate of any cohort.

Almost half of all drowning deaths occurred in coastal locations – beaches, ocean and rocks – accounting for 151 deaths (48%), including 66 deaths at beaches. One in three drowning deaths were in inland waterways (90 deaths or 29% of the total), including 68 deaths in rivers and creeks, where currents, submerged hazards and steep drop-offs often surprise swimmers.

Significant inequalities persist. Drowning rates were twice as high among people living in the most disadvantaged areas, and almost three times higher in regional areas compared to cities. Where country of birth was known, 39% of people who drowned were born overseas.

Royal Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving Australia say the report points to three deeper shifts already reshaping drowning risk in Australia, trends that will accelerate over the next decade unless addressed now. They cite declining swimming and water safety skills, an ageing population, and the effects of a changing climate as factors driving increases in drowning.