Water Safety--Injury Statistics and Incidence Rates
The following statistics are the latest available from the National SAFE KIDS Campaign and the National Safety Council:
Injury and death rates

-
Approximately 830 children ages 14 and under drown every year. Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death in children ages 1 to 4 years and ages 10 to 14 years. For those less than 1 year old, drowning is the third leading cause of death
-
An average of about 3,600 injuries a year occur to children due to a near-drowning incident.
-
More than half of drownings among infants occur in bathtubs.
Where and when
-
Most infants under the age of 1 drown in bathtubs. Other drownings in this age group tend to occur in toilets and buckets.
-
Most childhood drownings in pools occur in the child's home pool. About one-third of these drownings occur in pools at the homes of friends, neighbors, or relatives.
-
Most drownings and near-drownings occur during late spring and summer (May through August).
-
More fatal drownings occur in the South and West.
-
More fatal drownings occur in rural areas than suburban or urban areas.
Who
-
The majority of children who drown in swimming pools are between the ages of 1 to 4.
-
Children ages 4 and under are more likely to drown than other age groups and account for most home drownings.
-
Boys are two times more likely to drown than girls.
-
African-American children ages 5 to 14 are three times more likely to drown than Caucasian children.
-
Nonswimming pool drownings are more common among low-income children.