A total of 110 million people (more than 20% of Europeans) are exposed to harmful levels of transport noise, according to the report Environmental noise in Europe 2025 of the European Environment Agency (EEA), prepared by an international group of experts with the involvement of research staff from the UAB.
The report is the most comprehensive analysis of environmental noise pollution in Europe and is based on reports from member states following the EU Environmental Noise Directive to examine both the impact on human health and the effects on biodiversity and protected natural areas. Contributors to this year's edition include Nuria Blanes, Francisco Domingues, Jaume Fons Esteve, Roger Milego, Maria José Ramos, Miquel Sáinz de la Maza and Raquel Ubach, all research staff of the UAB Department of Geography.
The document provides new data on the impact of transport noise on European citizens. Currently, more than 110 million people, i.e. more than 20% of Europeans, are exposed to high levels and this percentage rises to more than 30% if the stricter levels of the World Health Organisation (WHO) are taken into account. The main source of noise is road traffic, affecting 92 million people at levels above the 55 decibel threshold of the European directive during the day-evening-night period. Rail traffic noise affects 18 million people and aircraft noise affects 2.6 million people.
The report also includes figures on the effects of transport noise on the health of European citizens: it causes 66,000 premature deaths and thousands of cases of serious diseases each year, chronic discomfort to 16.9 million people, and serious sleep disorders to 4.6 million. The cost of this type of noise pollution is 95.6 billion euros per year. High noise levels are also linked to reading difficulties for half a million children, to behavioural problems affecting 63,000 children, and to some 272,000 cases of children with overweight.
In view of these findings, the report concludes that progress in reducing exposure to harmful noise levels has been slow and the EU's zero pollution target (reducing the number of people chronically affected by transport noise by 30% by 2030) is unlikely to be achieved without additional measures. In this regard, it highlights effective solutions to reduce noise, such as improving access to quiet and green spaces, reducing vehicle speeds, improving rail infrastructure maintenance, using quiet tires, and optimising air operations. It also recommends long-term strategies, such as creating transition zones between transport corridors and residential areas, and promoting sustainable mobility.
