Article
A Drowning Risk We Do Not Talk About Enough: Overseas-Born Australians
New analysis from Aquatots shows that overseas-born Australians are at a higher risk of drowning. With National Water Safety Day on December 1, 2025, we need to ask: Are we reaching the communities at the highest risk?
Key findings
- Over the last
20 years, people born overseas have often made up a
bigger share of drowning deaths than their share of the population. In the late 2010s, they were about
30% of the population but up to
40% of drowning deaths.
- In the five years before COVID
(2015-16 to 2019-20), overseas-born Australians drowned at a rate about
25% higher than the overall population. This occurred while the national drowning rate improved. It suggests that overseas-born communities did not benefit as much as those born in Australia.
- From
2005-06 to 2023-24, there were
1,627 drowning deaths among people born overseas - over
30% of all drowning deaths in that period.
- From 2013-14 to 2022-23, the average annual drowning rate was 1.04 deaths per 100,000 for Australian-born residents. For overseas-born residents, it was 1.30. For Nepal-born people, it was 2.48, and for China-born people, it was 1.98.
Australia loves water, but not everyone is equally safe. Our analysis of 20 years of drowning data shows a clear pattern. People born overseas are often carrying more than their share of the grief.
Chart 1
Chart 1 shows how the picture has changed over time.
In the mid-2000s, overseas-born residents were about a quarter of the population. They were also about a quarter of drowning deaths.
Over time, that changed. By the late 2010s, people born overseas made up roughly 30% of Australia’s population. But in some years, they accounted for around 40% of drowning deaths.
A five-year bracket analysis highlights this shift (2024-25 excluded, overseas-born drowning data is provisional):
- 2005-06 to 2009-10: overseas-born people were about 27% of drowning deaths.
- 2010-11 to 2014-15: overseas-born people’s share rose to about 29%.
- 2015-16 to 2019-20: it jumped to over 36%, more than one in three deaths.
- 2020-21 to 2023-24: the share sits at about 29%.
This raises an important question. Is this simply due to the growth of the overseas-born population, or are overseas-born Australians actually less safe in the water?
To answer this question, we look at deaths per 100,000 people per year, the crude annual drowning rate. For much of the last 20 years, the rate for people born overseas has sat above the rate for the population as a whole (see chart 2).
Chart 2
In the five years before COVID (2015–16 to 2019–20), the drowning rate for overseas-born Australians was about 25% higher than the national average. In some of those years, the ‘extra risk’ climbed close to 40%.
For most of the period, the risk ratio (shown by the yellow dashed line in Chart 2) is at or above 1.0. This means overseas-born Australians were as likely, and often more likely, to drown than the average Australian.
Since COVID, the two lines have moved closer together. Overall drowning has gone up, and the gap between overseas-born and Australian-born has narrowed. But the long-term story is clear; for many years, overseas-born Australians - including many culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities were more likely to die once they entered the water.
The CALD communities cover many different communities. We focused on three large migrant communities: people born in China, India, and Nepal.
In 2005, the Nepal-born population in Australia was about 3,800. By 2024, it was around 197,800, more than 50 times larger. Over the same period, the India-born population grew by more than fivefold, and the China-born population by more than threefold.
We used ten years of Royal Life Saving National Fatal Drowning Database Dashboard data (2013-14 to 2022-23) and population figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. We calculated average annual drowning rates per 100,000 people and compared different groups (see chart 3).
Chart 3
Two things stand out from chart 3:
- People born in Nepal and China seem to have a higher risk of drowning. This risk is greater than the average for those born overseas and for the Australian-born population.
- People born in India have a lower crude rate, but India and Nepal together still account for around seven drowning deaths a year on average.
Across this time period
(2013-14 to 2022-23), there were
933 drowning deaths
among people born overseas.
181
of these involved people born in
China, India, or Nepal, almost one in five overseas-born drowning deaths.
What this means for a drowning-free Australia
This study doesn’t explain all the reasons for the numbers. But it clearly shows that if Australia aims to reduce drowning deaths by half, CALD communities need to be included.
We know that overseas-born Australians face a higher drowning risk, it's time for specific action:
- Make swimming lessons more affordable and culturally safe.
- Offer water safety information in multiple languages.
- Listen to CALD communities about the barriers they face and the support they need.
Recognizing these patterns and admitting the gaps is the first step to real progress. It’s key to a drowning-free nation where no family is left behind.
Methodology & Data Notes
Data Sources
- NATIONAL DROWNING REPORT, Royal Life Saving Australia, several years
- Royal Life Saving National Fatal Drowning Database Dashboard
- 34090DO001_2024 Australia's population by country of birth 2024, Estimated resident population by country of birth - as at 30 June, 1996 to 2024, Released at 11:30 am (Canberra time) 30 April 2025, Australian Bureau of Statistics
- A 10 YEAR NATIONAL STUDY OF OVERSEAS BORN DROWNING DEATHS, 2005/06 to 2014/15, Royal Life Saving Australia
- Drowning Among Multicultural Communities in Australia, AN UPDATE: 2013/14 TO 2022/23, Royal Life Saving Australia
Formula
- Crude drowning rate
(raw death count in the year/population of the year) * 100,000
- Risk Ratio
Overseas-born drowning rate/Australian-born drowning rate
A value above 1 means overseas-born Australians face higher drowning risk.
Note
- 'Overseas-born' is not the same as 'CALD', our analysis focuses on country of birth
- We used the Royal Life Saving National Fatal Drowning Database Dashboard to analyse the annual total drowning death counts. The dashboard reports 316 deaths for the 2023-24 period. National Drowning Report 2024, Royal Life Saving Australia shows 323. The difference does not affect any trend or conclusion in the analysis.
Using our work
Aquatots Research & Data Team's work is meant to be shared and used widely. You do not need to seek our permission to reuse our article, charts, data, you just need to provide credit - http://www.aquatots.com.au/a-drowning-risk-we-do-not-talk-about-enough:-overseas-born-australians
About Aquatots
Level Requirements
Please keep in mind that each child is different and will develop their skills at different times in their swimming career. Other factors of swim progression and development at a baby swim level will be when your baby started their learn to swim journey.
To move up from Aqua Bubba's babies must be 6 months or older. Your baby will show readiness by supporting their trunk and head with ease. Splashing and making propulsive movements with their limbs. Sitting on their own or with minimal assistance.
To move up from Jelly Fish 1 babies need to be mobile and around 1 year.
To move up form Jelly Fish 2 babies will turn 2 year. or to move into the advanced class (Jelly Fish 4 babies must perform a propulsive front swim and an assisted back float/gilde)
To move up form Jelly Fish 3 babies are around the age of 3 years. or to move into the advanced class (Jelly Fish 4 babies must perform a propulsive front swim and an assisted back float/gilde)
To move up form Jelly Fish 3 or 4 children must be around the age of 3 years and must demonstrate readiness to attend a class without a parent or guardian. This will include
- Following simple instructions
- Happy to stay in the water with their current instructor with parent or guardian out of the water
- Can wait when asked
- Complete 2 or 3 successful Sea Horse Transition classes with their previous Jelly Fish instructor
Sea Horse 1 & Dolphin 1
To graduate from these levels children need to perform a front glide with ease and back glide with correct head position. This can be from a sitting, standing or instructor lead start. Move independently in shallow water, monkey along the wall without assistance and jump in and turn back to the wall with little to no help.
Sea Horse 2 & Dolphin 2
To graduate children must demonstrate a front kick with a propulsive kick and correct head position then roll to their back using correct breath control (blowing out under water and breathing in above the water) to continue their propulsion on their back. Assisted treading water, basic dive, duck dive, right themselves in shallow water from front and back and can use their hands and arms to propel.
Sea Horse 3 & Dolphin 3
To graduate children must perform front arm circles using an effective reach and pull for a distance that requires them to roll and breath then continue their swim. They must also show backstroke coordinating arms and legs with an effective reach and pull for a distance. Jump in and back float recovery, somersault, tread waterfor a short period of time, swim 10 meters without assistance and basic breaststroke.
Sea Horse 4
To graduate children must start school or be 5 years of age. In this level children will be working on gaining correct technique for all four strokes in preparation for squad level.
Mini Dolphin & Dolphin 4
To graduate children need to demonstrate correct technique including side breathing for freestyle and backstroke for the allocated distance (or turn 7 for mini Dolphin 4's). Baic tumble turn, survival sequence, intermediate Breaststroke and Butterfly, 20 meter swim.
Mini Squad Prep & Squad Prep
To graduate children must perform technical freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly for the allocated distance (or turn 7 for mini squad prep) Upon completion children will be invited to join the Sea Dragons swim squad
If your child is completing the program at this level we will require them to complete their Royal Life Saving award.
Transition Squad
To graduate children must turn 7 year
Development Squad
Child needs to swim 400 IM using correct technique for the distance or turn 12 year
Comp Squad
Child needs to turn 12 years of age
Swim Fit
Child needs to turn 16 years of age
