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
Why you should work at Aquatots-
Do you love hanging out with children, talking and working in a team? Are you enthusiastic, passionate and hard working? If so, a job at Aquatots is likely for you!
Aquatots offers many different employment opportunities for all ages. From casual to part time through to full time employment we can find a schedule suitable for you. Consistency, however, is key to being a successful Aquatots employee. Once you commit to a shift, you have committed for a minimum of six months and your work hours remain the same.
While most employees start with us as learn to swim teachers, career development opportunities come in many different shapes and sizes. Swim Australia accreditation courses which are nationally recognised can be undertaken at Aquatots, including; babies and toddlers, learners with a disability, competitive strokes, adults and more. Furthermore, we have receptionist positions, the busiest job in the centre! As well as life guarding, supervising, aqua aerobics instructing and more.
Aquatots is committed to reducing drowning statistics by teaching children survival skills in the water as well as development strokes in a warm and friendly environment. Between July 2018 and June 2019 alone, 276 people drowned in Australian waterways. (RLS, 2019) Join us and become a real-life superhero helping to save lives by reducing this number.
It really is one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. It will ignite your passion and bring you purpose along with a real sense of pride in what you do. Don't just listen to me though, hear it from other current Aquatots employees as well;
Aquatots is unlike any other job you will do; every day is different. It may look like an easy job from someone watching on the side of the pool however it takes lots of different skills to teach this skill for life. It takes lots of patience, imagination, good persuasive skills, eyes and arms that can be everywhere all at once and fun! So was you can see from this list were looking for not just anyone.This job also realise on you being consistent, your swimmer is counting on you to be at their lesson every week as most of them are not good with change so when you commit to taking classes you need to be available to show up as the best you every week.
'I love teaching because your classes come to love seeing you every week, and the best thing about this job is the amazing feeling you will get from seeing one of your swimmers master a skill you have taught them. If you enjoy what you do this shows and the parents of your swimmers will start following you when they move up levels, I have had some of my swimmers from 6 months of age at the start of our Jellyfish classes all the way until they go to school at age 5, you see them grow from a baby to a little person and that's the beauty of swim teaching.'
(Rhiannon, 10+ years with Aquatots)
'If you like kids and want to make a change to someone's life and make a real impact on the drowning statistics of the world then this job is perfect for you. We have an amazing family working atmosphere with an awesome management and instructor team. Seeing kids smiling and being happy brings the most amazing sense of accomplishment and brightens up you day, every day.'
(Declan, 2 years with Aquatots)
I feel so lucky to work in a company where I've been able to build a relationship with co-workers, students and their parents. I consistently get to see improvements each week within my student's confidence, trust, swimming technique and water safety ability, which is a consistent thing to be proud of. We are lucky enough to works with a group of people that feel like a family, everyone takes care of one another and passes on knowledge from all different areas. Aquatots has helped me grow as a person and as a teacher by the surroundings of its environment and I cannot wait to continue my journey with them, learning admin and management skills as well.
(Kayla, 5+ years with Aquatots)
With all that in mind, if you think this job is for you, we can't wait to meet you! Get started as soon as possible by sending in your application through our website: www.aquatots.com.au
