100 people drowned in 2025, particularly those aged 60 and over
Last year, 100 people in the Netherlands died due to accidental drowning. That was 13 fewer than in 2024. Over the past five years, an average of 93 people drowned each year. Statistics Netherlands (CBS) reports this on the basis of provisional cause-of-death figures.
| Jaar | Drownings |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 80 |
| 2022 | 73 |
| 2023 | 98 |
| 2024 | 113 |
| 2025* | 100 |
| * provisional figures | |
Over half of drownings occurred in a drainage channel, river, waterway or canal
Of the 464 drownings that took place between 2021 and 2025, nearly 54 percent occurred in a drainage channel, river, man-made waterway or canal, and 4 percent in the sea. Over 16 percent of drownings occurred at home or in the garden, and nearly 16 percent of drownings occurred in a pond or lake.
| Plaats van verdrinking | Drownings (%) |
|---|---|
| Drainage channel, river, waterway or canal | 53.7 |
| In or around the home | 16.2 |
| Pond or lake | 15.7 |
| Sea | 4.1 |
| Swimming pool | 1.9 |
| Open water, unknown where | 4.5 |
| Other/unknown | 3.9 |
More people aged 60 and over drowned than children
The number of drownings among the Dutch population fell sharply between 1950 and the first half of the 1980s, particularly among children. Subsequently, the number of drownings among children aged 10 and under continued to decline. Over the last 25 years, accidental drownings have been the most frequent among people aged 60 and over.In 2025, the average number of drownings per 100 thousand residents was 0.6. The rate was highest among people aged 60 and over (41 percent of all victims) at 0.8 per 100 thousand residents. It is lowest among children aged under 10, at 0.2 per 100 thousand residents.
| Jaar | Younger than 10 yrs (per 100 thousand residents) | 10-19 yrs (per 100 thousand residents) | 20-39 yrs (per 100 thousand residents) | -59 yrs (per 100 thousand residents) | 60 yrs and over (per 100 thousand residents) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 11.0 | 3.9 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 5.2 |
| 1951 | 9.2 | 2.7 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 5.1 |
| 1952 | 8.9 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 3.2 | 4.7 |
| 1953 | 10.6 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 4.0 |
| 1954 | 9.3 | 3.0 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 4.6 |
| 1955 | 8.9 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 6.3 |
| 1956 | 8.6 | 2.4 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 4.7 |
| 1957 | 9.3 | 4.2 | 2.0 | 1.4 | 6.5 |
| 1958 | 9.9 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 1.9 | 4.0 |
| 1959 | 10.1 | 4.5 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 4.1 |
| 1960 | 9.3 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 4.5 |
| 1961 | 9.7 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 4.3 |
| 1962 | 7.8 | 2.5 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 3.9 |
| 1963 | 9.7 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| 1964 | 8.7 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 4.5 |
| 1965 | 8.2 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.2 |
| 1966 | 8.8 | 2.9 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 4.8 |
| 1967 | 8.5 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 1.3 | 3.7 |
| 1968 | 6.7 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 3.2 |
| 1969 | 6.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 2.8 |
| 1970 | 6.1 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.3 | 2.5 |
| 1971 | 6.7 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 2.7 |
| 1972 | 6.1 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.6 |
| 1973 | 6.2 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.0 |
| 1974 | 6.1 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 2.1 |
| 1975 | 5.4 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.3 |
| 1976 | 4.9 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 2.1 |
| 1977 | 4.2 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.9 |
| 1978 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 1.7 |
| 1979 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| 1980 | 3.1 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 |
| 1981 | 3.9 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.4 |
| 1982 | 4.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.6 |
| 1983 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.3 |
| 1984 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| 1985 | 2.4 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.0 |
| 1986 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 0.7 |
| 1987 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| 1988 | 2.1 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| 1989 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 |
| 1990 | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| 1991 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| 1992 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 1.0 |
| 1993 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 |
| 1994 | 1.6 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| 1995 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| 1996 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| 1997 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.7 |
| 1998 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| 1999 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 |
| 2000 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.1 |
| 2001 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| 2002 | 1.4 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 1.2 |
| 2003 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 1.0 |
| 2004 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.9 |
| 2005 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| 2006 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| 2007 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| 2008 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.9 |
| 2009 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| 2010 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.8 |
| 2011 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.9 |
| 2012 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| 2013 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| 2014 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| 2015 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| 2016 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.0 |
| 2017 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| 2018 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.9 |
| 2020 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 |
| 2021 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 |
| 2023 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 0.8 |
| 2024 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 1.2 |
| 2025* | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.8 |
| *provisional figures 1)To take account of the ageing population, the figures for past years have been recalculated to reflect the 2025 demographics. | |||||
Drownings due to suicide or traffic accidents
In addition to the 100 accidental drownings in 2025, 100 people drowned due to suicide and 42 people following traffic accidents. In 90 percent of these cases, the incident occurred after a vehicle had driven into the water (mainly bicycles and cars), and in other cases following accidents on the water involving, for example, a boat or canoe. Accidental drowning is proportionally most common among people aged up to 60, while suicide is the main cause of drowning among those aged 60 and over.| Jaar | Accidental | Suicide | Traffic accident | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 80 | 87 | 38 | 5 |
| 2022 | 73 | 100 | 39 | 9 |
| 2023 | 98 | 104 | 36 | 12 |
| 2024 | 113 | 83 | 45 | 4 |
| 2025* | 100 | 100 | 42 | 8 |
| * provisional figures | ||||
Most drownings in Zuid-Holland
Over the past five years, a quarter of drownings in the Netherlands occurred in the provinces of Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland. There were 115 drownings in Zuid-Holland and 86 in Noord-Holland. In relation to the total area of surface water, the highest number of drownings occurred in Utrecht, North Brabant and Limburg. Over the past five years, there were 0.44 drownings per square kilometre of water in Utrecht, and 0.32 in North Brabant and Limburg.Related items
- News release - 146 fatalities due to accidental drowning in 2024