At least 659 people died in water in the UK in 2023, losing a combined 15,557 years of life
The researchers estimate the economic cost of those lost years at £933 million
Earlier research by the same team found the risk of accidental drowning rises by 7.2 per cent for every 1°C above 15°C
Drownings are taking a huge toll on the UK, not just on grieving families but on the country's finances, a new study has found.
Scientists from the University of Portsmouth have partnered with the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the National Water Safety Forum to calculate the economic cost of lives lost.
Using records from the Water Incident Database (WAID) , which logs every water-related death in the UK, the team worked out how many years of life each person would have been expected to live had they not died.
They then multiplied each lost years by £60,000, the value HM Treasury gives one year of life when weighing up public spending. In 2023, at least 659 people died in water across the UK, and because so many of those that drown are young, together they lost 15,557 years of life.
The research, published in Public Health in Practice , estimates that this loss costs the UK economy around £933 million.
The numbers are so high because tragically drowning often affects young people, and particularly 20 to 29-year-old men. Each death of a teenager or young adult takes away decades of life."
Professor Mike Tipton, University of Portsmouth's Extreme Environments Research Group
Drownings often affect young people
Broken down by nation, accidental deaths cost at least 5,464 years of life in England, 1,087 in Wales, 1,076 in Scotland and 127 in Northern Ireland.
"The numbers are so high because tragically drowning often affects young people, and particularly 20 to 29-year-old men," explained Professor Mike Tipton , from the University of Portsmouth's Extreme Environments Research Group and chair of the National Water Safety Forum and Water Safety England. "Each death of a teenager or young adult takes away decades of life."
The authors say the true cost is likely to be even higher. The study does not count rescue and hospital costs, or people who survive but are left with lifelong disabilities.
To reduce this burden, the researchers call for senior political leadership, better data to help target prevention, water safety education in schools, and a well-resourced National Water Safety Forum.
Carlene McAvoy, Head of Policy at RoSPA and co-author of the study, said: "Every drowning death is a devastating tragedy that leaves a lasting impact on families, friends and communities. This research highlights that the consequences are also felt more widely across society, with an estimated economic cost of almost £1 billion in a single year.
"By investing in evidence-based drowning prevention and strengthening leadership across the UK, there is a strong opportunity to save lives while reducing a significant and avoidable social and economic burden."
Hotter summers mean more deaths
The findings come after the UK's hottest summer on record. The Met Office says summer 2026 had an average temperature of 16.5 °C, the warmest since its records began in 1884.
Earlier research by the same team found that accidental drownings rise by 7.2 per cent for every 1 °C the air temperature goes above 15 °C, and by 22% for every degree when alcohol is involved. The new study's authors say the UK needs weather alerts linked to drowning risk.
The full toll of this summer is not yet known. Those figures will come from the Water Incident Database, whose funding runs out in January 2027.
Professor Tipton said: "We know that when temperatures climb, more people get into the water and more people drown, and summers like the one we have just had will become more common. If the Water Incident Database loses its funding, we won't even be able to count how many lives are lost, let alone plan to protect people next year, as a consequence this public health disaster will be set to continue."
Two changes that would save lives
The study comes as scientists at the University of Portsmouth and members of the National Water Safety Forum and Water Safety England push the UK Government for at least two changes:
A single UK Minister for Water Safety. Currently there is no minister with responsibility for water safety and drowning prevention. A single point of contact would help integrate and co-ordinate drowning prevention interventions promoted by the National Water Safety Forum and its members. Scotland's Drowning Prevention Strategy has helped cut accidental drowning deaths by 10% since 2019.
Long-term funding for the Water Incident Database (WAID). WAID is run by the National Water Safety Forum and records how, where and when people drown. Its funding runs out in January 2027. Without it, the evidence used to target safety campaigns, lifeguards and warning signs will be lost.
Last week (20 October), Portsmouth scientists took this message to the Houses of Parliament. They were among a small number of organisations chosen to exhibit at The Physiological Society's 150th anniversary showcase .
Their display showed MPs how 40 years of Portsmouth research into "cold shock" became life-saving advice. Cold shock is the uncontrollable gasping that happens when you fall into cold water. It makes the first minutes on immersion in cold water the most dangerous period and occurs long before hypothermia can develop.
That research led to the advice to float on your back for the minute or two it takes the cold shock response to disappear, and you get your breathing back under control. It now underpins the RNLI's award-winning Float to Live campaign and the NWSF's Find Your Float campaign. Countries including Australia, Ireland and New Zealand have adopted similar advice.
There are signs of progress. A new UK Drowning Prevention Strategy launched in July 2026, and water safety became part of statutory relationships, sex and health education guidance in schools from September 2026. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has pledged to keep working with the NWSF on the strategy, after receiving a letter from bereaved families.
Professor Tipton added: "Science can tell us why people drown and what helps them survive. But research alone won't bring the numbers down. We need a minister who is accountable for drowning prevention, and we need the Water Incident Database funded beyond January 2027. Without those data, we would be trying to prevent deaths blind."
