Latvia Faces High Drowning Rates Despite EU Drop

New Eurostat data highlights concerning trend for a small nation.

Latvia continues to grapple with a significantly higher rate of drowning fatalities compared to most European Union nations, according to the latest Eurostat figures for 2022. Despite a decrease in total drownings from the previous year, the nation’s statistics remain starkly disproportionate to its population size.

Drowning Statistics Revealed

In 2022, 92 Latvian citizens officially died from drowning. This number aligns closely with the 94 bodies recovered from Latvian waterways by the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) in the same year. While this represents a reduction from 117 drownings in 2021, the figures still paint a concerning picture.

Across the EU, 4,810 drowning and submersion deaths were recorded in 2022, a 3.9% decrease from 2021. Drownings accounted for 2.8% of all accidental deaths in the EU, the lowest share since data collection began in 2011. France reported the highest number of drownings with 784, followed by Germany with 542.

Disparities and Gender Differences

Latvia’s drowning rate remains elevated when compared to countries like Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Croatia, despite Latvia’s much smaller population of 1.9 million. Neighboring Estonia recorded only 30 drownings, while Lithuania saw 119. Notably, Finland, with a population nearly three times larger than Latvia’s at 5.6 million, reported an identical figure of 92 drownings.

As observed across the EU, men are disproportionately affected by drowning deaths. In Slovenia, the gender gap was less pronounced, with 14 men and 11 women drowning. Luxembourg recorded only one drowning fatality, a male victim.

Eurostat Methodology Clarified

Eurostat tallies drowning deaths based on citizenship, not the location of the incident. This means Latvian citizens who drown abroad are included in the statistics, though it is presumed most such incidents occur within Latvia.

Current Year Trends

So far this year, the VUGD has retrieved 75 bodies from Latvian waters. In previous years, the total was 102 in 2024 and 116 in 2023. The most recent reported drowning occurred on August 4th in Aiviekste parish, Aizkraukle municipality, where a deceased individual was recovered from a pond.

The number of fatal drownings in Latvia, while down from a five-year high in 2021, highlights a persistent public safety challenge. For instance, in 2023, 102 people drowned in Poland, a country with a population of nearly 38 million, indicating a significantly lower per capita risk than Latvia.