What do 2024 survey results tell us about swimming and floating ability in New Zealand?

Most New Zealand adults do not consider themselves competent in open water - 82 per cent of New Zealanders!

A significant number of annual drowning fatalities happen in open water. There is clear need for New Zealanders to strengthen water survival skills and knowledge to prevent drowning.

Swimming in open water

Less than 20 per cent of people consider themselves competent – and more than half of New Zealanders are unable to swim or weak at swimming in open water. These New Zealanders won't be able to save themselves when things go wrong.

A significant proportion of drownings occur in open water - at the beach, river, or lake. With around 2.6 million people participating in aquatic activities every year, the need to lift competence and ability is clear.

Knowing how to float could end up saving your life

A quarter of New Zealanders surveyed consider themselves unable to float or weak at floating.

It is estimated a person needs to be able to float for a minimum of two minutes when experiencing a water-related incident. This is the minimum time needed for help to arrive.

Learning to float is vital for water safety, particularly because most drownings occur in open water environments. The simple, yet very powerful skill of floating significantly increases a person's chances of survival. Floating allows you to remain on the surface and conserve energy while awaiting help.

Floating, especially on the back, can be a lifesaver. It's crucial for you to learn how to signal for help while floating, as effective communication can be life saving in distressing situations.

Five ways to survive - Know how to float

Find out more practical advice on floating from these online resources around the world

Floating Challenge

New Zealand’s water safety community is calling out for your involvement to help New Zealanders Know how to float.

When things go wrong in the water being prepared is not a choice – it is a necessity. Our floating challenge is all about sharing simple lifesaving information. Emphasis of the #NZfloatingchallenge is on making information fun and accessible, but with a subtle but serious message that floating can help save lives.

Reckon you rate your own floating skills? Go for gold with the challenge and show us how! Challenge others in your organisation to give it a go or pass it on to others.

Download #NZfloatingchallenge information

Do children know how to float to survive?

Around 100,000 young New Zealanders are involved with water survival education programme Water Skills for Life™ In 2023/24 we assessed the abilities of around 80,000 primary school-aged children participating.

Less than one third of eight-year-olds (27 per cent) can float and signal for help for at least two minutes.

This result is a stark one. It shows that even with specific water survival education – more resource and effort is needed to help New Zealanders to survive and thrive in water.

Water Safety New Zealand Chief Executive Daniel Gerrard: “Complacency is just not an option. Confident swimmers, boaties, our children, and all water users are encouraged to practice floating. People with lower swimming ability need to learn how to survive in water."

“I hope to see even more collective action across the water safety community using evidence of these results. All of us must contribute to help New Zealanders of whatever age, region, or ability to understand the priority of floating to survive.”

Water Skills for Life™ is a global best practice approach. It is not a learn-to-swim programme. It provides young people with age-appropriate skills for real-world environments – rivers, beaches, and lakes. This knowledge could significantly increase your child's chances of safety in open water.

Is enough happening to prepare our next generation for a safe life around water?

New Zealand has approximately 450,000 school age children in Year 1 to Year 8. From data collected through learn-to-swim schools in 2020/21, we estimate around half of all primary aged children are participating in swim lessons funded by their parents/whānau. Water Safety New Zealand is focused on the remaining half of young people who do not receive any water survival or learn to swim education.

In partnership with ACC, we work with regional partners who bring the Water Skills for Life™ programme to life

We encourage parents, if they're able to afford learn-to-swim lessons for their family, to prioritise water survival when making decisions about a swim school or provider. Speak to instructors about basic water survival skills, check to make sure that they're being taught. Build on the skills your child is learning at the pool by creating activities based on what they’ve learned. Take your young ones to in safe location at a river, lake, or at the beach to test out those skills.

What about the young people who don’t receive any lessons?

With support from ACC, the Lottery Grants Board and regional and community funders, around 100,000 children whose parents/whānau cannot afford private learn-to-swim lessons are being supported. But, no matter how hard we try, our current efforts still can’t afford to reach the remaining 130,000 kids who do not receive water survival or learn to swim education from either their family or their school.

find out more about Water Skills for Life™

Swimming and floating abilities – at a glance