France, Germany, Luxembourg: Where do people experience the worst noise pollution in Europe?

By&nbspEuronews Green

Published on 24/06/2025 - 15:58 GMT+2

More than 1 successful 5 Europeans are exposed to harmful carrier noise, according to nan latest European Environment Agency (EEA) report, making it nan 3rd astir deadly biology threat down aerial contamination and utmost temperatures. 

Road postulation is nan astir wide root of carrier noise, exposing an estimated 92 cardinal group to levels supra nan EU’s Environmental Noise Directive (END) period of 55 decibels (dB) for nan day-evening-night period. This is simply a weighted mean sound level complete a 24-hour play that accounts for really group are much delicate to sound during nan night.

Rail postulation impacts 18 cardinal people, followed by craft sound disturbing 2.6 million.

The resulting physiological accent and slumber disturbance lend to 66,000 early deaths a twelvemonth and galore cases of bosom illness and diabetes, according to nan Environmental sound successful Europe report, which is published each 5 years and covers 31 countries. 

“Noise contamination is often overlooked, considered conscionable an annoyance of mundane life,” nan EEA’s executive director, Leena Ylä-Mononen, says. “However, semipermanent impacts of sound connected our wellness and situation are wide and significant.” 

If measured against World Health Organisation (WHO) standards, which person a somewhat little period of 53 dB for roadworthy traffic, person to 1 successful 3 European citizens are being exposed to risky sound pollution.

Which countries suffer astir from sound pollution?

In position of absolute numbers, France has nan highest number of group exposed to carrier sound erstwhile averaged retired crossed time and night: an estimated 24 cardinal people.

Germany has nan highest number during nighttime hours alone, pinch immoderate 15 cardinal group affected.

When you look astatine it successful position of percentages, it's a different matter. Over 50 per cent of nan organization is exposed to harmful sound levels successful Cyprus and Luxembourg. Populations successful France and Austria besides fare severely by this metric.

At nan different extremity of nan scale, only 3 countries - Estonia, Slovakia and Portugal - are estimated to person little than 10 per cent of their populations exposed to levels supra nan END threshold. 

How tin we return to a safer volume?

The EU is presently disconnected way to meet its target of reducing nan number of group chronically disturbed by carrier sound by 30 per cent by 2030 (compared to 2017 levels). 

There are respective legislative changes nan study recommends to prime up nan pace, including:

• For roadworthy transport: Lowering velocity limits for vehicles successful municipality areas, and boosting nan usage of low-noise tyres.

• For railway noise: Mandating nan usage of quieter braking systems, requiring amended attraction of trains and track, and retrofitting freight trains.

• For craft noise: Optimising landing and take-off patterns, and encouraging nan preamble of quieter planes.

Low-noise asphalt, building insulation and sound barriers are immoderate of nan measures that countries are exploring person to people’s homes.

The researchers besides item nan connections betwixt green space and sound safety. At slightest 29 per cent of nan aboveground area of Europe’s Natura 2000 web is affected by precocious sound levels from transport, they say, jeopardising nan continent’s conservation goals. 

Increasing entree to greenish areas and keeping them quiet is key, arsenic these spaces tin supply psychological restoration and thief trim sound annoyance for people.