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Round 2 Topic: Swimming
Rapid Surveys from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) collect timely, relevant data on topics of public health importance. Surveys are conducted several times a year using probability-based commercial online panels. Each survey includes a unique set of questions about different public health topics. Data collection for Round 2 occurred during October—November 2023.
This page includes estimates in dashboard and table formats. Estimates for swimming include indicators such as the percentage of adults ages 18 and older who took swimming lessons or taught themselves how to swim, drank alcohol while spending time around bodies of water, and were trained in CPR. Also included are measures about self-rated swimming skill level.
Select the buttons at the top of the dashboard to view bar chart and data table. Use the drop-down menus to show data for selected indicators or demographic variables.
| Total | Don’t know how to swim | Comfortable in water where can stand | Can swim in water over head | Can swim multiple strokes efficiently | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | Percent (95% confidence interval) | ||||
| Total | 100 | 15.4 (14.3–16.6) | 17.0 (15.9–18.1) | 31.8 (30.4–33.2) | 35.8 (34.5–37.2) |
| Age group | |||||
| 18–44 | 100 | 14.2 (12.4–16.1) | 16.9 (15.2–18.8) | 31.3 (29.2–33.5) | 37.6 (35.3–39.8) |
| 45–64 | 100 | 15.0 (13.1–16.9) | 14.8 (13.1–16.6) | 32.1 (29.8–34.4) | 38.2 (35.9–40.5) |
| 65 and older | 100 | 18.6 (16.6–20.7) | 20.0 (18.0–22.1) | 32.4 (30.0–34.9) | 29.0 (26.8–31.4) |
| Gender | |||||
| Female | 100 | 19.4 (17.8–21.2) | 19.4 (17.8–21.0) | 30.8 (29.0–32.7) | 30.4 (28.6–32.2) |
| Male | 100 | 11.2 (9.8–12.7) | 14.4 (12.9–16.0) | 32.8 (30.8–34.9) | 41.6 (39.5–43.7) |
| Race and Hispanic origin | |||||
| Hispanic | 100 | 25.8 (22.5–29.3) | 20.0 (16.9–23.3) | 25.7 (22.3–29.3) | 28.5 (25.1–32.1) |
| Black or African American, non-Hispanic | 100 | 36.8 (32.4–41.4) | 27.0 (23.0–31.2) | 18.8 (15.5–22.4) | 17.4 (14.2–21.0) |
| White, non-Hispanic | 100 | 6.9 (6.1–7.8) | 13.7 (12.6–14.9) | 36.7 (35.0–38.5) | 42.6 (40.9–44.4) |
| Other single or multiple races, non-Hispanic | 100 | 22.4 (17.9–27.5) | 20.4 (16.3–25.0) | 29.1 (24.3–34.3) | 28.1 (23.5–33.1) |
| Education | |||||
| High school degree or GED or less | 100 | 23.0 (20.8–25.3) | 20.7 (18.6–22.9) | 30.8 (28.4–33.3) | 25.4 (23.2–27.7) |
| Some college | 100 | 13.7 (11.9–15.7) | 16.5 (14.7–18.6) | 32.1 (29.7–34.7) | 37.6 (35.1–40.2) |
| Bachelor’s degree or higher | 100 | 8.3 (7.1–9.7) | 13.2 (11.7–14.7) | 32.6 (30.5–34.7) | 45.9 (43.7–48.1) |
| Household income as a percentage of the federal poverty level | |||||
| Less than 100% FPL | 100 | 28.0 (24.1–32.3) | 23.4 (19.6–27.5) | 25.9 (22.0–30.0) | 22.7 (19.2–26.5) |
| 100% to less than 200% FPL | 100 | 24.5 (21.4–27.9) | 18.6 (15.7–21.7) | 30.2 (26.9–33.6) | 26.7 (23.6–29.9) |
| 200% and greater FPL | 100 | 10.7 (9.6–11.9) | 15.3 (14.2–16.6) | 33.3 (31.7–34.9) | 40.6 (39.0–42.2) |
| Region | |||||
| Northeast | 100 | 14.6 (12.2–17.3) | 16.9 (14.2–20.0) | 34.6 (30.8–38.5) | 33.9 (30.3–37.6) |
| Midwest | 100 | 12.8 (10.7–15.0) | 17.3 (15.1–19.7) | 34.6 (31.7–37.6) | 35.3 (32.5–38.1) |
| South | 100 | 19.1 (17.1–21.3) | 16.9 (15.1–18.8) | 30.4 (28.2–32.7) | 33.6 (31.5–35.8) |
| West | 100 | 12.3 (10.4–14.5) | 16.8 (14.6–19.1) | 29.6 (27.1–32.2) | 41.3 (38.5–44.1) |
| Urbanicity | |||||
| Large central metro | 100 | 17.5 (15.4–19.7) | 17.7 (15.6–19.9) | 29.9 (27.4–32.4) | 35.0 (32.5–37.5) |
| Large fringe metro | 100 | 13.9 (11.9–16.2) | 17.2 (15.0–19.5) | 30.4 (27.8–33.1) | 38.5 (35.6–41.5) |
| Medium and small metro | 100 | 14.7 (12.7–16.9) | 16.3 (14.3–18.5) | 33.6 (31.1–36.3) | 35.4 (33.0–37.8) |
| Nonmetropolitan | 100 | 15.0 (12.2–18.1) | 16.4 (13.7–19.3) | 34.4 (30.6–38.3) | 34.2 (30.7–38.0) |
NOTES: GED = general educational development certificate. FPL = federal poverty level. Percentages may not add to totals due to rounding. All estimates shown meet the NCHS standards of reliability. See technical notes for more details.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, Rapid Surveys System, Round 2, October–November, 2023.
Explore Rapid Surveys System estimates by health topic.
See the technical notes [PDF – 68 KB] for more information on these measures.
Data collected under the Rapid Surveys System are intended to complement and not replace the current household survey systems at NCHS, including the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS). The Rapid Surveys approach has a greater potential for coverage and nonresponse bias and smaller sample sizes, thus resulting in lower precision (especially for subgroups). The Rapid Surveys System is particularly well suited for time-sensitive data needs, measuring public health attitudes, developmental work to improve concept measurement, and methodological studies.
Rapid Surveys System data are cross-sectional data based on commercial probability-sampled online survey panels that are supplemented, if necessary, with alternative modes to improve representativeness. Data were collected from 7,046 adult participants this cycle using two panels – AmeriSpeak (conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago) and KnowledgePanel (conducted by Ipsos). Estimates shown in this dashboard are based on data collected in Round 2 of Rapid Surveys, occurring during October—November 2023. All estimates shown meet the NCHS Data Presentation Standards for Proportions. Data on swimming were collected on behalf of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
Access the Round 2 Survey questionnaire [PDF – 37 KB]
NCHS Rapid Surveys Systems. Swimming. National Center for Health Statistics. Available from: www.cdc.gov/nchs/rss/round2/swimming.html.