U.S. child drowning deaths rose from 756 in 2019 to 865 in 2024

Unintentional drowning deaths among U.S. children rose from 756 in 2019 to 865 in 2024, the most recent year with complete data. The child drowning death rate also increased slightly, from 1.1 to 1.2 per 100,000 children. Most of the deaths involved children younger than 5.

Unintentional child drowning deaths dropped from around 2,000 a year in the 1980s to below 1,000 a year by the early 2000s. Between 2000 and 2019, health officials recorded a 38 percent decline. The reversal began after 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic interrupted swimming lessons and lifeguard training programs and contributed to a national lifeguard shortage.

Some data also suggest an increase in swimming pool construction and unsupervised swimming.

programs Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 to 4 and one of the top killers for ages 5 to 14. About 4,000 to 5,000 Americans drown each year overall, though most are adults. A CDC Foundation program has paid for basic swimming and water safety skills training for over 35,000 students since 2024.

The program operates in 11 states with higher drowning rates: Alaska, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Michigan, New York, Oklahoma and Texas. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends lifeguard standards, life jacket regulations, and requirements that swimming pools be surrounded by fences with self-closing, self-latching gates.

Preliminary U.S. data for last year suggest child drownings declined, though the total remains higher than before the pandemic.