Metric permalink
Bathing water quality
Part of the Environment and Climate domain. Share of designated bathing waters classified Excellent or Good, a tangible measure of water-environment quality.
Latest data
Latest reading
2025
Change between the two latest observations (2024 to 2025), in stress score.
A lower reading is treated as worse for this indicator.
Score composition
Stress score
Since the August 2026 release
What changed on this indicator between the two releases: source changed.
Blended from two measured components: (2/3 weight) and trend (1/3 weight); where no trend can be computed the metric is scored on its level alone. Volatility is published as a diagnostic and does not enter the blend. Full formula on the methodology page.
Level · 2/3 weight
Percentile: this metric is scored against its own history, where today sits between its best and worst recorded years.
Trend · 1/3 weight
Measured from the direction and size of the change between the two most recent readings.
Volatility · diagnostic, not blended
23Measured from how much this indicator has swung period on period across its recorded history.
Data confidence and provenance
Confidence and source
How much weight to put on the reading, the mean data-confidence across the component metrics (source quality, recency and completeness).
Source
Bathing water quality classifications
- Update frequency
- Annual
- Reliability
- high
Provenance
- Provider
- Environment Agency
- Series ID
- ea_bathing_water
- Frequency
- Annual
- Accessed
- 25 August 2026
Known weakness
England; the current four-class system began in 2015 (no comparable earlier data), the 2020 season was cancelled for COVID, and the 2024 fall partly reflects 27 newly designated, often-poorer river sites.
Notes
Verified official value from Environment Agency (ea_bathing_water), accessed 2026-08-25.
Historical values
History
| Period | Value | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 89.5 | |
| 2016 | 92.8 | |
| 2017 | 91.6 | |
| 2018 | 91.9 | |
| 2019 | 93.1 | |
| 2021 | 94.3 | |
| 2022 | 92.4 | |
| 2023 | 89.6 | |
| 2024 | 85 | |
| 2025 | 87.3 |