The vast majority of bathing waters in Europe met the European Union’s most stringent ‘excellent’ bathing quality standards in 2025, according to the EU’s latest annual Bathing Water report.
This represents 85 per cent of Europe’s bathing sites, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA) report, with 96 per cent of all EU sites monitored meeting the minimum quality standards, and only 1.5% rated as ‘poor’. These data also show that the overall quality of bathing waters across Europe has remained stable compared to the previous year.
The Bathing Water report shows that the highest share for excellent quality bathing waters is found in Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Greece – with a total of 95% or higher. The bathing quality of coastal waters is generally better compared to rivers and lakes. In 2025, 88% of coastal bathing waters in the EU were classified as excellent, compared to 78% of inland bathing waters.
The assessment and interactive map, put together by the EEA in cooperation with the European Commission, show where swimmers can find the safest bathing sites in Europe. The assessment inspects water suitability for bathing, focusing on monitoring bacteria that can potentially cause serious illnesses.
The excellent quality of Europe’s bathing waters is supported by the sustained impact of EU law. Thanks to the EU’s Bathing Water Directive and other EU water legislation, the quality of Europe’s bathing waters has steadily improved over recent years. This includes improved monitoring and management practices, investment in urban wastewater treatment plants, better wastewater collection, and improved assessment of the cyanobacterial algal blooms that can be harmful for human health and nature.
The continued efforts mean that people can now also swim in many formerly heavily polluted urban waters and rivers. At the same time, achieving healthy and resilient water systems requires continued progress in addressing broader pressures on surface and groundwater, including chemical pollution and climate-related impacts.
The assessment for today’s report is based on the monitoring of over 22,200 bathing sites across Europe that were reported to the EEA for the 2025 season. This includes sites in all EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland.
Alongside this year’s Bathing Water Report, the EEA has also released an updated interactive map showing the performance of each bathing site. Updated country fact sheets are also available, as well as more information on the implementation of the Directive in assessed countries.
