Roughly 3,000 to 3,600 people a year have been officially recorded as dying from accidental drowning in the Philippines, and the true number is higher. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) recorded 3,604 such deaths in 2021, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer (2023), and the Department of Health (DOH), citing PSA, put 2024 at 3,017, as reported by the Philippine News Agency. Official death certificates leave out drownings caused by floods, storms and boat accidents, so researchers estimate the real toll at about 1,700 more a year (Martinez, Go and Guevarra, 2016).
This guide is general information, not a substitute for training. In an emergency, call 911.
Key figures at a glance
| Figure | What it means | Source and year |
|---|---|---|
| 3,604 | Deaths recorded as accidental drowning or submersion, out of 879,429 deaths | PSA, 2021, as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer (2023) |
| 3,576 | Drowning deaths recorded | PSA, 2022, as quoted by Sen. Win Gatchalian's office (31 Mar 2024); GMA News (20 Mar 2024) reports the same number as "cases" |
| 3,580 → 3,017 | Drowning deaths in 2023, then 2024 | DOH statement citing PSA, as reported by the Philippine News Agency (2026) |
| about 4,200 a year | Average once floods, storms and maritime accidents are counted (1980–2011) | Martinez, Go and Guevarra, Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2016 |
| 2,439 | Estimated child (0–14) drowning deaths in 2017, down from 2,943 in 2008 | Guevarra et al., Children, 2021 (Global Burden of Disease estimates) |
How many people drown in the Philippines each year?
The Philippine Statistics Authority counts deaths from registered death certificates. For 2021 it recorded 3,604 deaths from accidental drowning and submersion, about 0.4% of all 879,429 deaths that year (PSA data as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2023). The figure for 2022 was 3,576, and the highest monthly counts were in March (317), April (391) and May (345), according to Sen. Win Gatchalian's office, which quotes the PSA. The DOH has since cited 3,580 deaths for 2023 and 3,017 for 2024 (Philippine News Agency, 2026). PSA publishes an infographic on the 2023 figures at rsso01.psa.gov.ph. We could not open that page ourselves, so the 2023 and 2024 numbers here are as relayed by the DOH.
Source: Martinez, Go and Guevarra, Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 2016. Official = Philippine Health Statistics; adjusted = plus floods, storms and maritime accidents.
Over a longer period, official records in the Philippine Health Statistics averaged 2,496 drowning deaths a year between 1980 and 2011, or 3.5 per 100,000 people (Martinez, Go and Guevarra, 2016).
Official counts versus estimates: why the numbers differ
You will see different figures depending on who counted and how. None of them is "wrong". They measure different things.
| Method | Example | What it captures |
|---|---|---|
| Death certificates | PSA annual counts | Deaths registered as accidental drowning. Excludes floods, storms, tsunamis, boat accidents and intentional deaths. |
| Adjusted research estimate | 4,196 a year on average, 1980–2011 (Martinez et al., 2016) | Adds disaster and maritime deaths to the official series, about 1,700 more a year. |
| Modelled estimates | Global Burden of Disease 2017: 5.3 deaths per 100,000, as cited in Guevarra et al., 2021 | Statistical model that corrects for under-reporting. |
| Police incident counts | PNP Holy Week and summer tallies | Reported incidents over a short window. Useful for seasonal patterns, not annual totals. |
The Philippine Life Saving Society (PLSS) has said drowning and near-drowning incidents may reach 10,000 a year, and that the official figure is grossly underreported, according to an Inquirer editorial (2023). Treat that as an advocacy estimate rather than an official count.
Is the drowning rate going up or down?
Sources disagree, partly because they cover different years and groups.
Source: Guevarra et al., Children 8(1):29, 2021, using Global Burden of Disease estimates. Bars start at zero.
- All ages: At a Manila press conference in October 2024, the World Health Organization's Western Pacific office said there was "a slight increase in drowning deaths" in the Philippines (GMA News, 17 Oct 2024). A WHO report covered by The Tribune (19 Oct 2024) found that drowning death rates fell in every country in the Western Pacific Region between 2000 and 2021 except the Philippines. Neither report gave a Philippine rate. For the wider region, WHO says drowning rates have fallen by 38% since 2000 (WHO Western Pacific, 13 Dec 2024).
- Children (0–14): Estimated deaths fell from 2,943 in 2008 to 2,439 in 2017, and the decline was faster for children under 5 (Guevarra et al., 2021).
- Official counts: between 3,576 and 3,604 in 2021–2023, and 3,017 in 2024 according to the DOH (Philippine News Agency, 2026).
Children and drowning
In 2021 the PSA recorded 370 drowning deaths among children aged 1 to 4, 356 among ages 5 to 9 and 330 among ages 10 to 14 (as reported by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2023). Together that is 1,056 deaths, or just under three in ten of the 3,604 total (our arithmetic). A study of 1963–2003 data by Safe Kids Philippines, the Philippine Life Saving Society and the DOH found drowning was then the second leading cause of death for children aged 1 to 14 (reported by Manila Bulletin, 2009, via the International Life Saving Federation). That ranking is old, so we do not claim it is still true today. For a closer look at who is most at risk, see Who is most at risk of drowning in the Philippines.
What the numbers leave out
- Floods and typhoons. Deaths in these events are classed as disaster deaths, not drowning. Adding them raised the 1980–2011 average by about 1,515 deaths a year (Martinez et al., 2016).
- Boats and ferries. Maritime accidents are also counted separately, adding about 185 deaths a year on average over the same period (Martinez et al., 2016).
- Passive reporting. The 2016 study notes that surveillance relies on what is reported, so some deaths are missed.
- Near-drownings. Non-fatal drownings can cause lasting harm and are not in death statistics.
What is being done
The DOH, working with the World Health Organization, developed the Multisector Action Plan on Drowning Prevention in the Philippines, 2016–2026. A 2021 review of the plan found 12 child-specific activities among its 53 activities, and called for better surveillance and attention to the underlying causes, such as supervision, access to water, schooling and safe transport (Guevarra et al., 2021). In October 2024 WHO said it was working with the DOH on a multisectoral drowning prevention plan that includes water safety in the school curriculum, fencing around water and alcohol control (GMA News, 17 Oct 2024).
What you can do
- Learn the leading risks in Where and how drownings happen.
- Read How to prevent drowning.
- If you run a resort, school or barangay swimming spot, make sure there is constant adult supervision, a lifeguard and flotation equipment on hand. See our Safety Buoys.
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Sources
- Philippine Daily Inquirer. "Drowning, a 'serious public health issue,' makes Holy Week break tragic for some" (2023), reporting PSA 2021 data. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1754570/drowning-a-serious-public-health-issue-makes-holy-week-break-tragic-for-some
- Office of Sen. Win Gatchalian, statement quoting PSA 2022 data (31 March 2024). https://wingatchalian.com/?p=32247
- GMA News. "Drowning cases rise during summer" (20 March 2024), reporting PSA 2022 data. https://gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/901163/drowning-cases-rise-during-summer-a-leading-cause-of-death-among-kids/story
- Philippine News Agency. "DOH raises alarm over drowning cases after Ateneo athletes' deaths" (2026), reporting DOH figures citing PSA for 2023 and 2024. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1276867
- Philippine Statistics Authority. Deaths by Accidental Drowning and Submersion in the Philippines 2023 (infographic, 2024). Page could not be opened by us. https://rsso01.psa.gov.ph/infographics/deaths-accidental-drowning-and-submersion-philippines-2023
- Martinez RE, Go JJ, Guevarra J. Epidemiology of drowning deaths in the Philippines, 1980 to 2011. Western Pacific Surveillance and Response Journal, 7(4), 2016. https://ojs.wpro.who.int/ojs/index.php/wpsar/article/view/448
- Guevarra JP, Peden AE, et al. Preventing Child Drowning in the Philippines: The Need to Address the Determinants of Health. Children 8(1):29, 2021. https://doi.org/10.3390/children8010029 (full text: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7825742/)
- GMA News. "WHO: Drowning-related deaths slightly increased in PH" (17 October 2024). https://gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/924053/who-drowning-related-deaths-slightly-increased-in-ph/story
- The Tribune. "Drowning-related deaths rise in PHL: WHO" (19 October 2024). https://tribune.net.ph/2024/10/19/drowning-related-deaths-rise-in-phl-who
- World Health Organization Western Pacific. "Drowning deaths decline in the Western Pacific, but urgent action is still needed" (13 December 2024). https://www.who.int/samoa/news/detail-wpro/13-12-2024-drowning-deaths-decline-in-the-western-pacific--but-urgent-action-is-still-needed
- Philippine Daily Inquirer, editorial "Preventable drowning incidents" (2023), quoting the Philippine Life Saving Society. https://opinion.inquirer.net/162325/preventable-drowning-incidents
- Manila Bulletin (20 December 2009), "Child drowning in the Philippines: The silent killer speaks" study coverage, reposted by the International Life Saving Federation. https://ilsf.org/?p=687
Last reviewed: 12 October 2026. Figures are updated when new official releases are published.
