Official Statistics

Bathing water quality statistics

Annual statistics showing if bathing waters in England meet regulatory standards.

Applies to England

Documents

Statistics on bathing waters in England for 2017 (revised May 2018)

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Statistics on bathing waters in England for 2016

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Statistics on UK bathing waters for 2015

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Details

Bathing waters in England have not been classified in 2020. This is due to the severe impacts on bathing water monitoring and analysis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic and the necessary adherence with government guidelines to prevent the spread of the virus.

An official statistic has not been produced for 2020.

The Environment Agency closely monitors beaches and inland waters that are designated bathing waters to check that standards are being maintained.

They must publish the official statistics and classifications awarded.

Bathing waters can be classified as ‘excellent’, ‘good’, ‘sufficient’ or ‘poor’.

Latest results – 2024

Out of 450 bathing waters:

  • 413 (91.8 per cent) met at least the minimum standard
  • 289 (64.2 per cent)were classified as ‘Excellent’
  • 37 (8.2 per cent) did not meet the minimum standard and were classified as ‘poor’
Classification % Numbers
Excellent 64.2% 289
Good 21.1% 95
Sufficient 6.4% 29
Poor 8.2 % 37

Bathing water quality in the rest of the UK

See additional statistical data.

Defra statistics: environment

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Updates to this page

Published 26 November 2012
Last updated 26 November 2024 + show all updates
  1. Annual update.

  2. Chart updated

  3. changes to chart view

  4. 2023 release published

  5. Latest data to 2022 added.

  6. Figures for 2021 bathing water quality published.

  7. Cancellation of the 2020 release due to impacts of Covid19

  8. 2019 results published

  9. A change to the classification of Southend Three Shells and the associated figures.

  10. 2018 figures released

  11. Change to the classification of a bathing water.site

  12. Annual update.

  13. Annual update to publication.

  14. Added summary for English beaches and links to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland information.

  15. New figures for UK published 5 November

  16. Bathing water statistics for 2014 published.

  17. 2013 figures

  18. First published.

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