Statistics & Research
Drowning Facts
“Drowning – A Community Issue”
Drowning affects all New Zealanders irrespective of age, ethnicity, gender or social economic status.
It is consistently the third highest cause of unintentional death in New Zealand, surpassed only by road vehicle crashes and accidental falls.
WSNZ and it’s members have achieved considerable success since its inception in 1949. Over the last 29 years a 43% reduction in drowning has occurred since a record high in 1985 of 215 and a record low of 91 in 2006.
NZ Drowning Statistics 1980–2008
2008 Drowning Statistics Media Release (28K)
The Social Cost of Drowning
The following table depicts the annual social cost of drowning using the 2008 Ministry of Transport figure on the value of a statistical life.
Annual Social Cost of Drowning
|
Decade |
Average |
Value of statistical life |
Annual social cost |
|
1980s |
181 |
$3.35 million |
$606.4 million |
|
1990s |
143 |
$3.35 million |
$479.1 million |
|
2000s |
114 |
$3.35 million |
$381.9 million |
|
Ministry of Transport – Value of a Statistical Life 2008 |
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If drowning numbers had continued at the average rate recorded in the 1980’s; an additional 900 people would have lost their lives from 1990 till 2008. This equates to a social cost of just over $3 billion, for the community.