Nearly 94% of Finland’s bathing waters are of good or excellent quality
It is safe to swim at public bathing beaches in Finland. Nearly 94% of Finland’s bathing waters have been classified as being of excellent or good quality. The figures are based on the latest bathing water report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA).
The report contains bathing water quality data from all public bathing beaches. In summer 2025, Finland had a total of 304 public bathing beaches, of which 226 were located inland and 78 along the coast.
Nine beaches (3%) were classified as having sufficient water quality, the lowest acceptable bathing water category. This is three fewer beaches than during the previous monitoring period. At three beaches (1%), bathing water quality was classified as poor, the same number as during the previous monitoring period.
Of inland bathing waters, nearly 95% were classified as excellent and just over 2% as good. This is in line with results from previous monitoring periods. Along the coast, just over 55% of bathing waters were classified as excellent and nearly 30% as good. Compared with the previous monitoring period, the share of excellent bathing waters decreased by more than six percentage points, while the share of good bathing waters increased by nearly eight percentage points. The proportion of excellent coastal bathing waters has now declined for three consecutive years.
Bathing water quality is assessed at beaches monitored over several summers
Five new bathing beaches in Finland were not assigned a bathing water classification because water quality had not yet been monitored for a sufficiently long period. In addition, one beach had too few samples available to determine a classification.
The European bathing water report classifies water quality at beaches where concentrations of bacteria indicating faecal contamination have been monitored regularly over four bathing seasons. These bacterial levels can be used to assess, for example, the impact of wastewater discharges on bathing water quality. The occurrence or abundance of cyanobacterial (blue-green algae) blooms is not taken into account in the bathing water classification.
“The proportion of excellent bathing waters along the Finnish coast has decreased in recent years. For example, wastewater entering bathing waters and faeces from wild animals can reduce water quality. However, it should be remembered that stricter quality standards apply to coastal bathing waters,” says Outi Zacheus, Senior Planning Officer at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).
Basic information on individual bathing beaches and their monitoring-based classifications is available through the European Environment Agency’s online service.
During the bathing season, information on bathing water quality is provided at bathing beaches and, for example, on municipal websites. Bathing season data are not updated in the European Environment Agency’s online service during the season.
Each year, THL reports the results of bathing water monitoring carried out by municipal health protection authorities to the European Commission. The report published now is based on monitoring conducted during the 2022–2025 bathing seasons. It includes country-specific summaries of bathing water quality as well as results from approximately 22,000 bathing beaches across Europe.
Further information
European Bathing Water Report 2025 – European bathing water quality in 2025 (European Environment Agency)
Finnish Bathing Water Report 2025 – Finnish bathing water quality in 2025 (European Environment Agency)
Outi Zacheus
Senior Planning Officer
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL)
Tel. +358 29 524 6374
[email protected]