Australia’s drowning toll has fallen from last year’s record high, but the latest national figures reveal significant gaps in who remains at risk, particularly older Australians, people born overseas and those living outside major cities.
The newly released National Drowning Report 2026 recorded 313 drowning deaths in 2025/26, down from 357 the previous year, a fall of more than 12 per cent.
Yet the improvement tells only part of the story. The national toll remains 10 per cent above the 10-year average, and Australia is not on track to meet the Australian Water Safety Strategy 2030 target of reducing drowning deaths by 50 per cent.
Two figures are particularly striking. Where country of birth was known, 39 per cent of people who drowned were born overseas, up from 33 per cent the previous year. And people aged 65 and over accounted for almost one-third of all drowning deaths, with 95 fatalities.
While deaths among those aged 65 and over fell from 118 to 95, older Australians remain the largest contributor to the drowning toll. The 65–74 age group recorded the highest drowning rate of any age group in 2025/26, and drowning rates were above the 10-year average across every age group over 45.
The figures raise a broader question: is Australia’s traditional water-safety message reaching everyone who needs it, across cultures, generations and communities?
Harpreet Kandra, a senior lecturer at Federation University and founder of the Safely Engaging with Water initiative by Officer Gurdwara, believes the answer lies in involving communities more directly.
“Improving water safety is a long journey towards a challenging goal, and it requires strong and effective collaboration. It is encouraging to see water safety receiving greater attention, along with a reduction in drowning numbers. However, there is still much more we can do, particularly by involving migrant and multicultural communities.”
Kandra’s approach is notable because it does not focus solely on children learning to swim. He sees water safety as something that should extend across generations, including older people who may have had little opportunity to develop confidence around water.
“For example, our children can motivate parents and families to learn swimming and understand water safety. And our seniors can connect with water through activities such as aquarobics and build their water safety knowledge. They can then become community water safety guardians, sharing awareness when spending time around water with their families.”
That focus on seniors takes on particular significance in light of the latest report. Australia’s ageing population is identified alongside declining swimming and water-safety skills and climate change as one of three major factors likely to shape future drowning risk.
Kandra also believes swim centres could rethink how they introduce people to water, particularly those who did not grow up swimming. “They could consider developing structured 10-week programs that not only teach skills, but also help learners become comfortable and confident around water and encourage them to continue their swimming journey.”
The challenge is also geographical and socioeconomic. Drowning rates were nearly three times higher in regional areas and almost four times higher in remote areas than in major cities, while people living in the most disadvantaged communities faced twice the drowning risk.
Where people are drowning is also changing. Coastal locations accounted for 151 deaths, or 48 per cent of the national toll, almost one in every two drowning deaths. Beach deaths fell from 82 to 66, while inland waterway deaths dropped from 122 to 90. River deaths fell particularly sharply, from 99 to 68.
Swimming pools, however, bucked the national downward trend. Pool deaths increased from 35 to 44, a rise of about 26 per cent.
There was encouraging news for young children. Eleven children under five drowned, 39 per cent below the 10-year average, although 55 per cent of those deaths occurred in backyard pools. Children aged five to 14 continued to have the lowest drowning rates.
For Kandra, improving those figures means taking water-safety education beyond traditional campaigns and into the institutions and places people already trust. “Overseas consulates in Australia can help raise water safety awareness within the communities they represent. Universities and other institutions supporting international students could include basic water safety awareness in their orientation programs.”
He also sees places of worship and community centres as potentially powerful channels. “Importantly, places of worship and community centres can also play a valuable role. Simple water safety announcements before summer, school holidays and major holiday periods could help keep the message visible within our communities.”
The Federal Government has committed $5 million to the WE SWIM Multicultural Community Water Safety Program, alongside renewed funding for the Water and Snow Safety Program.
The National Drowning Report makes clear, however, that Australia’s challenge is broader than simply reducing the headline number. overall improvements, older Australians, overseas-born people and regional and remote communities remain particularly vulnerable
For Kandra, that means water safety cannot be left solely to governments, lifeguards or swimming instructors.
“We need to share resources, learn from good practices, and find a meaningful role for everyone. The key message is that Water safety is a shared responsibility. Everyone can have a role, and every contribution can make a difference.”
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