FIJI loses an average $6.9 million a year through drowning.
From 1999 to 2011, the country suffered a total loss of $89.5million.
The statistics were released during a stakeholders meeting of the Fiji Water Safety Council in Suva on Thursday night. One-time Fiji swimming champion Samuela Tupou presented the statistics which were put together by the Dean of the College of Business, Hospitality and Tourism at the Fiji National University, Mahendra Reddy.
"The loss of human capital is the stoppage of an able-bodied person from contributing positively to the economy," Mr Tupou said.
Mr Reddy calculated the loss output which equalled the loss of drowned life from 18 to 55 years.
Drowning statistics hit an all-time high in 2005 which recorded 68 deaths and cost the economy $9,956,589.60.
Police safety and swimming officer Bronwyn Soko said an average of 48.5 people drown every year.
"This amounts to about five people for every 100,000 with our population at approximately 900,000," Mrs Soko said.
She said the figures for drowning for the year would be high because of the deaths recorded during the floods. "Flooding is a contributing factor, people lost their lives, they were crossing the river, swimming, playing," Mrs Soko said.
The country lost 29 lives from January to April compared to 13 deaths for the same period last year. In 2011, 45 deaths resulted in $6,602,640.00 capital loss.