Royal Life Saving Australia releases National Drowning Report 2026

The latest National Drowning Report was released on September 10 at Parliament House, Canberra. Published by Royal Life Saving Australia in partnership with Surf Life Saving Australia, the report shows there were 313 drowning deaths over the past 12 months, which is 10 per cent higher than the 10-year average.

Headline data includes:

There were 313 drowning deaths over the past 12 months, a 10 per cent increase on the 10-year average.
The lowest rates of drowning were children 5-14 years, but this rises sharply by ages 15-24 years.
Drowning rates were above the 10-year average for every age group over 45 years.
The highest drowning rates were in people aged 65-74 age group.
48 per cent of drownings occurred in coastal locations (151), including 66 drowning deaths (21 per cent) at beaches.
29 per cent of drowning occurred at inland waterway locations (90), including 68 drowning deaths (22 per cent) at rivers.
14 per cent occurred in swimming pools (44 deaths), 66 per cent of those deaths were in backyard pools.
Where country of birth was known, 39 per cent of the drowning victims were born overseas.
Inequities persist – drowning rates double for those from the most disadvantaged areas and nearly triple for regional residents and nearly quadruples for remote residents compared to major cities.
Drowning increased in South Australia (up 29 per cent), Tasmania (up 25 per cent), Queensland (up 19 per cent), New South Wales (up 9 per cent), and Victoria (up 8 per cent) compared to the 10-year average.

Reducing drowning deaths of children 0-4 has been a priority. This year the age group has experienced a drop of drowning deaths to 39 per cent of the 10-year average (a drop of 27 per cent from last year’s drowning numbers). The decline has been credited to pool fencing legislation and public education. The majority of drowning deaths (55 per cent) in this category occurred in swimming pools, mostly by unintentionally falling into the water (73 per cent).

The highest number of drownings occurred in rivers/creeks (22 per cent), at the beach (21 per cent), in the ocean/harbour (20 per cent) and in swimming pools (14 per cent).

There were 41 drownings in swimming pools across all age groups this year, a 24 per cent increase on the 10-year average of 33 per year.

For more information go to: https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/research-and-policy/drowning-research/national-drowning-reports