Excellent Bathing Water Quality: Bulgaria Ranks Second in the EU for Cleanliness
- sulevaivelina
- Jul 3
- 1 min read
According to the latest annual report from the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the European Commission, Bulgaria ranks second in the European Union for bathing water quality—surpassed only by Cyprus.
Key findings for Bulgaria in 2024:
Total bathing water sites: 96
Coastal (Black Sea): 92
Inland (rivers & lakes): 4
No new or removed sites were identified in 2024
Samples collected during the season: 851 total
Water quality in 2024:
Quality category | Number of sites | Percentage |
Excellent | 94 | 97.9% |
Good | 1 | 1.0% |
Sufficient | 1 | 1.0% |
Poor | 0 | 0.0% |
Monitoring criteria met:
All 96 sites were monitored fully according to the directive's calendar
Pre-season samples were taken
Minimum of 4 samples per season (or 3 in certain cases), with intervals never exceeding one month
Long-term stability: all 96 sites have been continuously monitored from 2021 to 2024 without interruption
📈 Trends in “Excellent” Classification (2021–2024):
Year | Coastal sites- Excellent | Inland sites- Excellent |
2021 | 89.1% (82/92) | 100% (4/4) |
2022 | 92.4% (85/92) | 100% (4/4) |
2023 | 94.6% (87/92) | 100% (4/4) |
2024 | 97.8% (90/92) | 100% (4/4) |
Clear upward trend in coastal water quality—from 89.1% in 2021 to nearly 98% in 2024.
Additional Highlights
Bulgaria meets stricter thresholds for coastal waters compared to inland bathing waters, as defined by the Bathing Water Directive
No site has been classified as “poor” in the past 4 years
All sampling obligations have been fulfilled 100%
This means every bathing site in Bulgaria meets at least the minimum standards, with the vast majority far exceeding them
(Source: EEA, 2024)
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