Noise pollution as leading environmental risk to well-being in Europe
On 24 June 2025, the European Environment Agency (EEA) published its newest ‘Environmental Noise in Europe 2025’ report. The numbers confirm that chronic transport noise affects more than 110 million Europeans and contributes to about 66 000 premature deaths each year.
The EEA review, based on data submitted under the Environmental Noise Directive, shows over one fifth of the European population are exposed to road, rail or aircraft noise above the legal reporting threshold. If the stricter World Health Organization guideline is applied, the total rises to roughly 150 million, or one in three EU citizens.
The long‑term health burden is severe. In 2021 noise exposure was linked to at least 50 000 new cardiovascular cases and 22 000 new diagnoses of type‑2 diabetes. More worrying is that children are not spared at all. About 15 million live in high‑noise areas, a situation associated with learning difficulties, behavioural disorders and higher obesity risk.
The European Union is not on track to meet its 2030 reduction targets
The World Health Organization already counts ambient noise among the leading environmental risks to health in Europe. Yet noise regulation receives far less political attention than air quality or climate change. The EU has pledged to cut by 30 per cent the number of people chronically disturbed by transport noise by 2030, but the EEA warns that current policies are unlikely to achieve more than a 21 per cent reduction.
Unchecked noise also damages hearing, accelerates age‑related hearing loss and fuels tinnitus. The EEA puts the annual economic burden—healthcare costs, productivity loss and reduced quality of life—at close to €100 billion.
Despite the evidence, environmental noise is still treated mainly as a nuisance. It is seldom reflected in national health budgets, and its heavier impact on lower‑income communities often goes unacknowledged.
What can be done about it?
- Recognise noise as a public health risk: Health ministries should treat environmental noise on par with air pollution, setting clear reduction targets and funding prevention programmes.
- Strengthen and enforce the Environmental Noise Directive: Member States must complete high-quality noise maps and action plans, then follow through with concrete measures.
- Invest in quieter mobility. Low-noise road surfaces, electrified rail freight, and tougher vehicle noise standards can cut exposure for millions.
- Raise public awareness: Simple messages – such as closing windows at night on busy streets or choosing quieter appliances – help individuals reduce personal risk while broader policies take hold.
