A total of 146 people drowned in the Netherlands last year, seven more than in 2023, according to provisional figures from national statistics office CBS. Most deaths occurred in open water or around the home and garden.

Of those who died,  39 were foreign nationals, including tourists, undocumented migrants and temporary workers.

On average, 91 residents and 29 non-residents drown each year. Last year’s figures are slightly above this average, but the CBS said it does not indicate a clear upward trend.

In total, 285 non-residents have drowned in the Netherlands between 2015 and 2024, with nearly half coming from Germany or Poland. One in five of the drownings of non-residents took place in Amsterdam – often tourists who fell into a canal while drunk or stoned.

People aged 60 and over account for nearly half of all drowning deaths, the CBS said and falls are the leading cause of drowning, especially among older people. Nearly seven in 10 people over 60 who drowned in the past 10 years had fallen into the water.

Between 2015 and 2024, 61 children under 10 and 48 older children and teenagers drowned. More than half were of non-Dutch origin, including those born abroad or with at least one foreign-born parent.

The risk of drowning for children born outside Europe is 11 times higher than for Dutch-born children, the CBS said.

The total number of drownings in the Netherlands has gone down significantly since the 1950s when between 400 to 500 people perished each year. School swimming lessons were introduced in the 1960s but have not been compulsory since 1985 and far fewer schools now teach their pupils to swim.