When we talk about drowning prevention, most people immediately think of children.
Swimming lessons, pool fences, lifeguards, awareness campaigns — and rightly so. Protecting children has been a major success story in global drowning prevention.
But new research reveals something many of us did not expect:
Adults aged 70 and older now have a higher global drowning rate than children under five (Işın & Peden, 2026).
The Numbers Behind the Shift
Using data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study, the authors report:
- Adults ≥70 years (2021): 8.15 deaths per 100,000
- Children <5 years (2021): 7.66 deaths per 100,000
For the first time, older adults surpassed young children in global unintentional drowning rates.
This does not mean children are no longer at risk — but it does highlight a prevention gap.
While child-focused interventions have improved significantly over recent decades, older adults have largely remained outside the central focus of drowning prevention strategies.
Why Does Risk Increase with Age?
The study highlights several contributing factors:
- Declining muscle strength and endurance
- Cardiovascular disease and chronic conditions
- Balance impairments
- Polypharmacy (multiple medications affecting alertness or coordination)
- Alcohol consumption combined with water exposure
- Falls into water, including in domestic environments (e.g., bathtubs)
Importantly, drowning is often silent and fast. It does not always look dramatic.
And in older adults, even a brief loss of balance or sudden medical event can quickly become life-threatening.
With global populations aging rapidly, this issue will become even more relevant in the coming decades.
What Needs to Change?
The authors argue that drowning prevention must expand beyond a child-centric approach and include:
- Age-specific awareness campaigns
- Integration of water safety into senior health programs
- Encouragement to swim in supervised locations
- Medical consultation before engaging in water activities when underlying conditions exist
In other words: Water safety must be considered across the entire lifespan.
Why This Matters for the Water Safety Community
For organizations, policymakers, and companies in the water safety and outdoor sector, this research carries a clear message:
- Safety solutions must address all age groups
- Communication strategies should explicitly include older adults
- Prevention must combine education, environment, and equipment
Safety equipment does not replace responsibility or supervision — but it can add a critical layer of protection, particularly for individuals with increased vulnerability.
A Needed Perspective Shift
Global drowning prevention has made real progress.
But progress in one demographic should not blind us to emerging risks in another.
The data is clear:
Older adults are a vulnerable — and often overlooked — population when it comes to drowning. Raising awareness is the first step. Designing inclusive prevention strategies is the next.
Source
Işın, A., & Peden, A. E. (2026). Drowning among older people: a neglected yet vital component of global drowning prevention. Injury Epidemiology.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s40621-025-00651-4
