Europe’s swimming waters rated highly ahead of summer season
The European Environment Agency said more than 85% of EU bathing sites met its top water-quality standard in 2025.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Most monitored swimming spots in the European Union met the bloc’s highest water-quality rating last year, according to a European Environment Agency report released Tuesday. The findings matter for holidaymakers and local authorities as the summer season begins, because contaminated bathing water can make swimmers ill.
The EEA said more than 85% of bathing sites in the EU were classified as “excellent” in 2025. The agency’s review covered more than 22,000 sites across the 27 EU countries, along with Albania and Switzerland.
Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria and Croatia ranked among the strongest performers, the EEA said, with at least 95% of their bathing waters receiving the top classification. Austria was included among the leaders despite being landlocked, reflecting strong results at inland swimming sites.
Leena Yla-Mononen, the EEA’s executive director, said in the report that swimmers were benefiting from the EU’s bathing-water rules, which she said had helped make most monitored waters clean enough for swimming.
Coasts outperformed rivers and lakes
The agency rates bathing water as “excellent,” “good,” “sufficient” or “poor” based on detected fecal contamination. The EEA said exposure to polluted water can cause illness if swallowed, including gastrointestinal problems and diarrhea.
Coastal waters performed better than inland sites in the 2025 data. The EEA said 89% of coastal bathing areas were rated “excellent,” compared with 78% of rivers and lakes.
The agency said coastal waters generally have a stronger ability to cleanse themselves. Rivers, lakes and streams are more exposed to short-term pollution linked to heavy rain and summer drought, according to the EEA.
Across the reviewed sites, 1.5% received a “poor” rating. Albania had the weakest result in the table, with 23.5% of its bathing sites graded “poor,” the agency said.
Some long-term problem sites remain closed
EU rules require authorities to ban swimming at a site if testing shows “poor” water quality for five straight years, according to the EEA. The agency said 57 sites fell into that category from 2020 through 2024.
Italy accounted for 34 of those long-term poor-quality sites, while France had 16, Spain had three and Sweden had two. Estonia and Portugal each had one, according to the report.
Only four of the 57 sites improved to at least “sufficient” quality by 2025, the EEA said. The agency’s findings show that while Europe’s overall bathing-water quality remains high, some locations continue to face persistent pollution problems.
This story draws on original reporting from Phys.org.