20+ Fascinating Swimming Injury Statistics You Need to Know

Swimming is an amazing sport that activates every muscle in the body. While swimming has some of the lowest percentages of injuries compared to high-contact sports like football and basketball, swimmers are still prone to injuries.

Continue reading below to discover some fascinating swimming injury statistics that’ll make you rethink skipping stretching before getting in the pool and which strokes are best for you.

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Top Fascinating Swimming Injury Statistics

Four swimming injuries occur every 1,000 hours of training for elite male swimmers. For female athletes, 3.78 injuries occur for every 1,000 hours of training.
The most common swimming injuries are in the neck and shoulder muscles.
In one study, 92% of participants thought more guidance and education about water safety and drowning prevention was urgently needed.
The three most common reasons swimmers get injured are overtraining, lack of rest between swims, and improper stroke or breathing techniques.
46% of Americans have had an experience where they feared they would drown.
86% of 36 competitive swimmers reported experiencing knee pain at least once. Knee pain is even greater for those who do the breaststroke.
It is estimated that every year approximately three million youth are sent to hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries.
Boys ages 0-18 are significantly more likely to injure themselves with swimming apparel than 19-64 year olds.
One study found that breaststroke swimmers had a 5x higher risk for knee pain than freestyle swimmers.
80% of Americans say they know how to swim. However, only 46% could perform each of the five basic water safety skills.

Read on for all 20+ swimming injury statistics and trends.

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Fascinating Swimming Injury Statistics You Need to Know

Dive into these fascinating swimming injury statistics below and learn more about which strokes are most likely to cause injuries, which gender is more prone to swimming injuries, and the top reasons swimmers get injured in the pool area.

Four swimming injuries occur every 1,000 hours of training for elite male swimmers. For female athletes, 3.78 injuries occur for every 1,000 hours of training. (Florian Wanivenhaus et al, Brian R. Wolf et al.)

Elite swimmers are most likely to injure their shoulders while training, with one study finding that 40% to 91% of swimming injuries occur in the shoulders. (Florian Wanivenhaus et al)

Researchers found that backstroke swimmers are more prone to shoulder injuries than other stroke types. (Yuiko Matsuura et al.)

86% of 36 competitive swimmers reported experiencing knee pain at least once. Knee pain is even greater for those who do the breaststroke. (Florian Wanivenhaus et al, G D Rovere, A W Nichols)

Low back pain affects butterfly swimmers and breaststroke swimmers most frequently. One study found 50% of butterfly swimmers and 47% of breaststroke swimmers reported low back pain. (Florian Wanivenhaus et al)

The most common swimming injuries are in the neck and shoulder muscles. (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)

Swimming uses fast arm movements that can affect the muscles of the shoulders and neck most often. It’s recommended to seek guidance on your form to ensure your motions don’t lead to injuries in the future.

One study found that breaststroke swimmers had a 5x higher risk for knee pain than freestyle swimmers. (Florian Wanivenhaus et al.)

One study investigating urban youth and swimming ability found that 57.5% and 56.2% of African–American and Hispanic/Latino children have a disadvantage in their swimming ability compared to white subjects. (C C Irwin et al.)

It is estimated that every year approximately three million youth are sent to hospital emergency rooms for sports-related injuries. (Lyle J. Micheli MD et al.)

One study investigated 140 swimming drownings across 37 states and found that 78% of drownings were children, and 66% were male. The average swimmer-to-lifeguard ratio was 13:1, and other swimmers and bystanders were twice as likely to identify a swimming-related death than a lifeguard. (Andrew R Pelletier, Julie Gilchrist)

One of the surprising swimming injury statistics is that swimming fatalities affect male children significantly more than others. Unfortunately, lifeguards are less likely to notice when something has gone awry, especially when a pool is overcrowded.

The five reasons swimming injuries occur are due to slippery floors, chlorine, broken pool tiles, other swimmers, and bad weather. (Rohmad Harjanto, Sumaryanto)

In one study, 92% of participants thought more guidance and education about water safety and drowning prevention was urgently needed. (William H. Burr et al.)

Education is one of the greatest ways to avoid swimming injuries and fatalities. However, the majority of people feel that more training is necessary for people to be confident while intervening during a swimming injury.

Boys ages 0-18 are significantly more likely to injure themselves with swimming apparel than 19-64 year-olds. (Meher Pandher et al.)

80% of Americans say they know how to swim. However, only 46% could perform each of the five basic water safety skills. (Red Cross)

46% of Americans have had an experience where they feared they would drown. (Red Cross)

With just five minutes of stretching, swimmers can prevent injuring themselves from “swimmer’s shoulder.” (HealthDirect.gov)

The three most common reasons swimmers get injured are overtraining, lack of rest between swims, and improper stroke or breathing techniques. (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center)

In one study, 68% of elite swimmers demonstrated degenerated spinal discs compared to 29% of recreational swimmers. (Florian Wanivenhaus et al.)

One study of 488 Olympic swimmers found that the three most common injuries occurred in the swimmer’s lower back, shoulders, and knees, with women having a significantly higher injury rate than men. (Yuiko Matsuura et al.)

It is estimated that, globally, ~236,000 people drowned in 2019. (Pan American Health Organization)

Over 90% of drowning fatalities happen to children under five in middle and low-income countries. (Pan American Health Organization)

One study found that the greatest predictors of swimming injuries occurring are previous injuries, incorrect hand positions in freestyle swimming, and those who see their chances of injury as low. (Travis R. Pollen et al.)

Wrap Up

Now that you’ve seen these 20+ swimming injury statistics, you can head to the pool with the confidence and preparedness to avoid injuring yourself.

While not all swimmers will get injured in this sport, understanding the stats about which strokes are most prone to injury is all the motivation you need to get guidance on your form to ensure you’re swimming happily instead of swimming with an injury.