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Albania has the most problematic waters in Europe, only 16.8% of beaches receive the "excellent" rating

Politiko 2026-07-18 10:26:09

Albania has the most problematic waters in Europe, only 16.8% of beaches receive

Albania ranks among the countries with the poorest beach water quality in Europe, according to the latest report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) on bathing water quality.

The report, which analyzed more than 22,000 bathing areas in the European Union , including coastal beaches and recreational areas with inland waters, shows that only 16.8% of the monitored areas in Albania received the maximum rating for water quality.

Meanwhile, around 23% of Albanian beach waters are classified as low quality , due to significant contamination by fecal bacteria, raising concerns about the safety of holidaymakers.

In contrast to Albania, other European countries have scored much higher. Cyprus leads the ranking, with 100% of the areas inspected receiving an "excellent" rating, followed by Greece with 97.1% and Bulgaria with 96.9% .

Countries such as Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Malta, Spain and Croatia have also been praised for the high quality of their waters.

According to experts, water pollution can pose health risks to vacationers, as bacteria such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) and intestinal enterococci can enter the waters due to problems with sewage or runoff from agricultural areas after heavy rainfall.

Despite the poor score in the report, Albania has seen a significant increase in the number of tourists in recent years, driven by picturesque beaches and lower vacation costs compared to other European destinations.

However, the EEA report highlights that water quality remains an important factor for the safety of tourists and the long-term development of coastal destinations.

 

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