Thirty-three people died in aquatic environments in Cyprus in 2025, while drowning claims about 300,000 lives worldwide each year, according to figures presented on Friday ahead of the National Day for the Prevention of Drownings and Marine Accidents, observed on July 25.
Speaking at a press conference at the Ministry of Health, Safe Water Sports representative Eliza Karabetian said 28 of the deaths in Cyprus occurred at sea and five in inland waters. Men accounted for 73% of the victims, while 61% were non-Cypriot nationals. Fifteen of the victims were aged over 70.
According to the figures, 36% of the incidents occurred between 20:00 and 08:00. Of the 28 deaths recorded at sea, ten occurred in the government-controlled Famagusta district, nine in Limassol, six in Larnaca, two in Paphos and one in Nicosia.
Karabetian said drowning remains a major global public health problem, noting that around 75,000 of the approximately 300,000 people who drown worldwide each year are children under five. She added that Safe Water Sports aims to prevent deaths in aquatic environments through public awareness and education.
Government officials said drowning prevention is a priority under Cyprus’ National Action Plan for Safety in the Aquatic Environment, approved by the Cabinet in February 2024.
Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki said data from the Health Ministry’s Health Monitoring Unit showed that 533 people had drowned in Cyprus over the past 21 years. The average annual number of deaths over the past decade stood at 29, with about half of the victims aged 65 or over. Tourists and non-permanent residents accounted for 51% of the incidents.
Piki highlighted a safe-swimming programme for children up to the age of 12, comprising eight practical lessons in the water, incorporated into the school timetable and provided free of charge. The third phase of the pilot programme is under way and is due to be completed in November 2026, by which time around 1,200 children will have benefited. More than 2,000 third-year primary school pupils will have participated since the programme began in April 2024.
The government is also considering creating an interactive educational facility, known as an Ocean Lab, where children would learn how to behave safely in and around water.
Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said drowning prevention was an integral part of public health policy, warning that drowning can occur quickly and silently. He urged the public never to leave children unsupervised, to follow lifeguards’ instructions, to avoid swimming in dangerous conditions and to seek help immediately when someone is at risk.
Education Minister Athena Michaelidou described swimming as a fundamental survival skill and said the successful pilot programme would gradually be extended to all districts and, ultimately, to all schools in Cyprus.