Drowning Incidents Decrease in Cyprus

According to data published by the European statistical agency Eurostat, the number of drowning incidents in the EU increased in 2021 compared to 2020. However, Cyprus was among the top three countries where the number of incidents decreased, falling from 14 to 9.

In 2021, the EU recorded 5,004 cases of death by drowning and submersion, an increase of 532 cases from 2020 (4,472).

The proportion of drowning and submersion deaths among all accidents also slightly rose from 2.9% in 2020 to 3.1% in 2021. Nevertheless, this proportion remains significantly lower than the 4.2% recorded in 2011, reflecting a nearly continuous decline over the past decade.

In Cyprus, there were seven drowning incidents in 2011, which increased to 15 in 2014 and 16 in 2018.

In 2021, Romania reported the highest number of drowning and submersion cases among EU countries, with 1,033 cases (21% of all drowning deaths in the EU). This was followed by France (653 cases), Poland (466 cases), and Germany (457 cases).

The lowest figures were recorded in Luxembourg (one case), Malta (three cases), and Cyprus (nine cases).

In 2021, the number of drowning cases among men was more than twice as high as among women in almost all EU countries. The exceptions were Austria (33 men and 19 women) and Malta (one man and two women).