The “large majority” of European coastal waters are safe to swim in, according to a new assessment of Europe’s bathing water, by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission. Well-managed sites where the bathing season can be enjoyed across the 27 European Union countries, plus Albania and Switzerland, are revealed in the report and on an interactive map.
Only 1.5% of Europe’s bathing water is of poor quality, the report says. That’s 330 out of the 22,000 sites for whom 2024 inspection data was available. The assessment criteria focuses on monitoring bacteria like E.coli which can cause potentially serious illnesses.
Coasts are cleaner
The figures, dating to 2024, show the coast is a better bet for taking the plunge than rivers or lakes. Around 89% of coastal bathing waters in the EU were classified as excellent, compared with 78% of inland bathing waters. But in five countries — Cyprus, Bulgaria, Greece, Austria and Croatia — 95% or more of all bathing waters were deemed to be of excellent quality.
🏊 Europe's bathing water has improved, thanks to cutting down organic pollutants & pathogens from urban wastewater!
— EU Environment (@EU_ENV) June 20, 2025
⚠️ But there is still significant pollution of surface and groundwater.
Learn more in the latest @EUEnvironment report 👉 https://t.co/hMsqVOOxTK#WaterWiseEU pic.twitter.com/og1fim0GSm
Responding to the results, Jessika Roswall, Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy described “time at the beach or swimming in lakes and rivers” as “a symbol of holidays and relaxation”. She said the findings “show that Europeans can confidently bathe in the vast majority of the EU’s bathing sites that meet the EU’s bathing quality standards.” She went on to express her commitment to “continuing to work to ensure high quality water for people and the environment, as part of our EU Water Resilience Strategy.”
Leena Ylä-Mononen, EEA Executive Director, noted that “there is more to do to improve the cleanliness of our waters and their resilience to withstand new challenges posed by climate change and over-use,” but said the fact the “vast majority of our bathing waters are clean enough to swim in” is “thanks to systemic work under EU rules which has steadily improved the health of our waters.”
Chemical pollution and cyanobacterial blooms remain challenging
That successful work includes EU legislation and policy such as its Bathing Water Directive, which has led to systematic bacteriological monitoring and large investments in urban wastewater treatment plants, achieving a drastic reduction in pathogens and meaning that, often, even urban water is safe to swim in.
Some of the improvements Ylä-Mononen referred to include addressing water resilience and chemical pollution. An EEA press release points out that, despite the excellent bacteriological cleanliness, “chemical pollution of surface and groundwaters remains significant and may be exacerbated by the changing climate. Improving water resilience for people and for the environment is therefore crucial.”
In addition, other challenges to water quality are not yet covered by EU monitoring rules. These include toxic cyanobacterial blooms, which frequently spark bathing warnings and restrictions.
