Across the European Union, the number of drownings decreased in 2022, according to data released Tuesday by the EU’s statistical agency, Eurostat. A total of 4,810 fatalities were recorded, representing a reduction of 194 cases compared to the previous year. This translates to a 3.9% decline.
The proportion of drowning incidents among all fatal accidents within the EU also saw a slight decrease, falling from 3.1% in 2021 to 2.8% in 2022. Eurostat highlighted this as the lowest recorded figure since data collection began in 2011, when the proportion stood at 4.2%.
France registered the highest number of drowning fatalities in 2022, with 784 deaths. Germany (542), Poland (535), Romania (472) and Spain (449) followed. The lowest figures were observed in Luxembourg (1), Malta (3), Cyprus (13) and Slovenia (25).
Consistent with previous years, men were disproportionately affected by drowning incidents across all EU member states. The ratio of male to female fatalities remained significantly skewed in favour of men. Slovenia demonstrated a comparatively smaller disparity, with 14 male deaths and 11 female deaths. The single drowning fatality in Luxembourg was male.
