Thirty-three people died from drowning in Cyprus during 2025, with authorities warning that prevention measures remain necessary.

Marking world drowning prevention day (July 25), the health ministry presented the figures on Friday.

Men accounted for 73 per cent of victims, 61 per cent were foreign nationals, while fifteen of those who died were aged over 70.

Safe Water Sports marketing and public relations manager Eliza Karabetian said 36 per cent of incidents occurred between 8pm and 8am.

Famagusta recorded the highest number of deaths with ten, followed by Limassol with nine, Larnaca with six, Paphos with two and Nicosia with one.

Karabetian said drowning remained a serious global health issue, with around 300,000 deaths recorded worldwide each year, including 75,000 children under the age of five.

Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides, drowning, swimming, Education Minister Athena Michaelidou

Deputy Minister to the President Irene Piki said Cyprus had recorded 533 drowning deaths over the past 21 years, with an average of 29 deaths annually over the last decade.

She said around half of those who died were aged 65 and over, while drowning remained among the main causes of death among children and teenagers.

“Every life lost in the water is a loss that could have been avoided,” Piki said, adding that 51 per cent of incidents involved tourists and non-permanent residents, while 68 per cent of victims were men.

The government’s national action plan, approved in 2024, includes prevention programmes, education initiatives and changes to legislation.

Piki drew attention to the safe swimming programme for children up to 12 years old, which provides eight practical lessons in the water as part of the school curriculum.

“We consciously focus on our children and our schools, where we can cultivate from an early age a proper culture, attitudes and behaviour,” she said.

Health Minister Neophytos Charalambides said drowning prevention was a public health priority and warned that familiarity with the sea should not lead to carelessness.

Education Minister Athena Michaelidou said swimming should be considered a survival skill rather than only a sporting activity, adding that the government aimed to expand the programme to schools nationwide.