TEHRAN – Over the past Iranian year, March 2024 – March 2025, a total of 1,026 individuals lost their lives from drowning, indicating a 1.4 percent increase compared to a year earlier.

During the mentioned period, the number of drowned men was 831 (lowered from 848 deaths in the Iranian year 1402), whereas the number of drowned women amounted to 195 (up from 166 deaths recorded a year earlier), IRNA reported.

The highest number of deaths was reported in Khuzestan (137), Fars (89), and Mazandaran (87) provinces.

According to reports, the majority of drowning deaths are recorded in rivers (303), agricultural irrigation pools (187), seas (135), and swimming pools (103).

A total of 105 deaths in rivers were recorded in Khuzestan province. Isfahan and Fars, with 34 and 26 deaths, had the highest number of deaths in irrigation pools, respectively. 129 out of 135 deaths recorded in seas were in places where swimming is forbidden.

Some 47.1 percent of drowned deaths were recorded from May 21 to September 21, 2024.

Every year, an estimated 236,000 people drown, making drowning a major public health problem worldwide. 

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death globally for children and young people aged 1-24 years. Drowning is the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths.

Lack of barriers controlling exposure to water bodies and lack of adequate, close supervision for infants and young children are drowning risks, as are poor swim skills and low awareness of water dangers.

In addition, high-risk behavior, including consuming alcohol while engaging with water, is a risk among young people and adults. Other risk factors are transport on water and water crossings, lack of safe water supply, and flood disasters.

World Drowning Prevention Day, declared in April 2021 by General Assembly resolution, is held annually on July 25. The global advocacy event serves as an opportunity to highlight the tragic and profound impact of drowning on families and communities and to offer life-saving solutions to prevent it.

This year, it is being marked with the theme ‘Your story can save a life – Drowning prevention through shared experiences.’

The global burden of death from drowning is felt in all economies and regions. Low- and middle-income countries account for over 90 percent of unintentional drowning deaths.

Over half of the world’s drowning occurs in the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Region and WHO South-East Asia Region.

Drowning death rates are highest in the WHO Western Pacific Region, and are 27-32 times higher than those seen in the United Kingdom or Germany, respectively.

World Drowning Prevention Day highlights the need for urgent, coordinated and multi-sectoral action on proven measures such as installing barriers controlling access to water; providing safe places away from water such as crèches for pre-school children with capable childcare; teaching swimming, water safety and safe rescue skills; training bystanders in safe rescue and resuscitation; setting and enforcing safe boating, shipping and ferry regulations; and improving flood risk management.

MT/MG