World Drowning Prevention Day 2026

In April 2021, the United Nations adopted the historic first Resolution on Global Drowning Prevention, recognising the scale of the problem, calling for coordinated action to prevent drowning and marking the 25 July as World Drowning Prevention Day.

Drowning doesn’t have a single cause, or a single solution. But it can be prevented. Drowning is an issue that affects every nation of the world. Globally, more than 300,000 people lose their lives to drowning every year. Drowning predominately impacts children and young people, with more than nine in 10 deaths occurring in low and middle-income countries, highlighting that vulnerable communities are most at risk.

In Australia hundreds of families lose loved ones to drowning every year.

World Drowning Prevention Day aims to raise awareness of the importance of drowning prevention and to reduce preventable deaths.