EU publishes map showing bathing water quality across France and other member states
74% of France’s bathing waters are classified as excellent, with some 3.3% rated poor
France is included in the water quality map
European Environmental Agency and Barmalini/Shutterstock
The EU’s European Environmental Agency has released updated data and an interactive map showing the quality of bathing waters across Europe, including beaches, lakes and rivers in France and other EU countries.
The results confirm that most European bathing sites continue to meet safety standards, with the majority classified as ‘excellent’ (85%) or meeting at least the minimum standard for safe swimming (96%). Meanwhile, only 1.5% were classified as ‘poor’. Around 22,000 bathing sites were monitored across Europe.
France in the European context
In France, bathing water quality is in the middle range in Europe. It is not among the top performers such as Cyprus and Greece, which report some of the highest shares of “excellent” waters in Europe, but it remains comparable to several large EU countries depending on region and water type.
France also has some persistent problem sites, with around 3.3% of bathing waters classified as poor, placing it among countries with a higher share of lower-quality locations in coastal rankings.
These differences are largely linked to local conditions and infrastructure. While many coastal areas perform well, inland waters such as rivers are more exposed to pollution from heavy rainfall, agricultural runoff, and upstream wastewater overflows.
Across Europe, only about 47% of river bathing sites reach “excellent” quality, making rivers the weakest category overall.
France has 3,378 bathing water sites. Of these, 2,512 are rated “excellent”, 535 “good”, 123 “sufficient”, and 112 “poor”, while 96 sites remain unclassified.
The numbers are not dissimilar from the latest map of water quality published by environmental group Eau et Rivières de Bretagne.
According to the EEA data, Europe’s coastal waters perform better overall, with around 88% rated excellent, than inland waters (lakes and rivers) which are lower at around 78%.
How to check bathing water quality
Residents and visitors can check bathing water quality using the European Environment Agency’s interactive map. Next to the map, users can:
Select a country, including France
Zoom in on a region, coastline, lake, or river
Click on individual bathing sites to see their quality rating (excellent, good, sufficient, or poor)
