According to data released Tuesday by the EU statistical office, Eurostat, the number of drownings across the European Union decreased in 2022. A total of 4,810 fatalities were recorded, representing a reduction of 194 cases compared to the previous year, a drop of 3.9 percent.
The proportion of drowning incidents among all fatal accidents within the EU also experienced a slight decline, falling from 3.1 percent in 2021 to 2.8 percent in 2022. This marks the lowest recorded value since data collection began in 2011, when the proportion stood at 4.2 percent.
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 numbers were observed in Luxembourg (1), Malta (3), Cyprus (13) and Slovenia (25).
Consistent with previous years, men were disproportionately affected by drowning incidents compared to women across all EU member states. In all countries, the proportion of male fatalities exceeded that of females. Slovenia exhibited a comparatively smaller disparity, with 14 male fatalities and 11 female fatalities. The single drowning incident in Luxembourg involved a male.