EEA: approximately 60,000 schools and 15,000 medical facilities in Europe are located in areas with transport noise of at least 55 dB

The European Environment Agency identifies approximately 60,000 schools and 15,000 hospitals and medical centers in areas with transport noise of at least 55 dB, based on the available data. The value refers to the day–evening–night average indicator, not to the level measured in each room. The EEA recommends reducing noise for the entire population and providing additional protection near schools, hospitals, and vulnerable communities.

Approximately 60,000 schools and 15,000 hospitals and medical centers in Europe are located in areas with transport noise of at least 55 decibels, according to available data presented by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in an analysis published on Monday, October 26, 2026. The value refers to the day–evening–night average indicator used in noise mapping. The agency recommends reducing exposure for the entire population, complemented by local measures in areas where high noise overlaps with medical and social vulnerabilities.

In brief

1.Approximately 60,000 schools and 15,000 medical facilities are located in areas with transport noise of at least 55 dB Lden, according to available data. The figures do not represent measurements in every classroom or hospital ward.

2.Children and people with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases are among the groups for which the EEA highlights specific risks. In older people, more frequent chronic diseases may increase the health burden, although evidence of a relatively stronger effect of noise is limited.

3.An analysis of 250 urban centers in the EU shows that, in 19 of the 21 countries examined, areas with higher proportions of residents born outside the EU tend to have a higher proportion of land exposed to road traffic noise of at least 65 dB Lden. The correlations are generally weak, vary locally, and do not measure individual exposure or causality.

4.The EEA recommends traffic and speed management, protecting quiet areas, and targeted interventions around schools and hospitals. These should complement general noise-reduction measures.

5.The analysis introduces no new obligations or deadlines. The EU objective of reducing by 30% by 2030 the number of people affected by chronic annoyance due to transport noise, compared with 2017, remains difficult to achieve without additional measures.

The analysis, entitled Transport noise, vulnerability and inequalities — who is most affected?, examines both differences in sensitivity to noise and the distribution of exposure in European cities. Its conclusion is that sound intensity alone does not explain health effects: pre-existing diseases, stage of development, housing quality, and the possibility of avoiding or reducing exposure also matter.

Data concerning schools and medical facilities indicate the potential scale of exposure among sensitive populations in areas for which information is available. They do not represent a complete census of all European institutions and do not establish the noise level inside every building. Sound insulation, room orientation, and distance from infrastructure may influence actual exposure.

The Lden indicator combines average noise levels during the day, evening, and night over the course of a year, with additional weightings for evening and night. The 55 dB threshold used for European reporting is not a universal limit below which noise would be risk-free, nor is it a single mandatory limit value for all Member States.

In the case of children, research examined by the EEA indicates effects on reading comprehension, memory, and attention, as well as associations with behavioral difficulties and excess weight. Exposure during key developmental periods may have lasting consequences. The 2025 European assessment estimated that more than half a million children have reading difficulties associated with transport noise; the figure does not represent new cases identified in October 2026.

For adults, the strongest and most consistent evidence of increased sensitivity to noise concerns people with pre-existing cardiovascular diseases, particularly coronary heart disease or a history of myocardial infarction. Some studies have identified stronger associations between exposure and cardiovascular effects in these groups than in the general population.

Prolonged exposure can disturb sleep and activate the body’s stress response. The EEA describes mechanisms including inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal dysregulation that may contribute to the onset or worsening of certain health problems.

For older people, the conclusions are more nuanced. Some studies indicate stronger associations with heart attack, mortality, or sleep disorders, but evidence that noise consistently produces relatively greater effects at this age remains limited. The higher prevalence of chronic diseases may nevertheless increase the number of people affected even if the relative risk is similar across age groups.

The component concerning territorial inequalities combines strategic road-noise maps with demographic data for 250 urban centers in the European Union. Researchers used one-kilometer-by-one-kilometer cells, calculating the proportion of the area affected by road traffic noise of at least 65 dB Lden. This is an analytical threshold different from the 55 dB threshold used to locate schools and hospitals.

The data were compared with Eurostat demographic information for 2021 concerning the proportion of employed residents and place of birth. The study does not have comparable data on household income or wealth at the same scale for the entire EU.

In 19 of the 21 countries analyzed, the proportion of residents born outside the EU is positively correlated with the proportion of land exposed to high road traffic noise. The correlations are generally weak, however, and their strength and, in a few cases, direction differ between cities. Areas with a lower share of employed residents tend to have only marginally larger affected areas, also in a weak relationship at the European level.

These results describe associations between the characteristics of areas, not the exposure of each person. They do not demonstrate that place of birth causes exposure to noise or that every resident born outside the EU experiences a higher level. The EEA treats place of birth as a possible indirect indicator of broader social, economic, and residential conditions.

Local context matters: in some cities, transport infrastructure runs through disadvantaged neighborhoods; in others, well-connected central areas combine high noise with expensive housing. Therefore, the agency recommends complementing European analyses with national and local assessments and more detailed individual data.

Vulnerability also depends on the possibilities for protection. People living in poorly sound-insulated homes, who cannot afford to move or have limited access to parks and quiet spaces, may experience disproportionate effects. Noise may overlap with air pollution and urban heat, which justifies jointly assessing these risks.

The EEA report Environmental noise in Europe 2025, corrected in March 2026, shows that more than 20% of Europeans are exposed to transport noise above the reporting thresholds used in EU legislation. Applying the stricter recommendations of the World Health Organization raises the proportion to more than 30%. Road traffic is the dominant source: approximately 92 million people are exposed above the threshold of 55 dB Lden, compared with 18 million for railway noise and 2.6 million for aircraft noise.

The same assessment, revisited in the new analysis, associates prolonged exposure to transport noise with approximately 73,000 premature deaths, 49,000 new cases of cardiovascular disease, and 23,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes in 2021. These are statistical estimates of the health burden, not diagnoses individually attributed to noise and not a new tally for 2026.

The proposed measures include reducing noise at the source, managing traffic and speed, urban planning, and protecting quiet areas. Around schools and hospitals, the EEA mentions low-traffic zones or traffic restrictions during certain times of day. Local interventions should complement exposure reduction for the entire population, including people without known medical vulnerabilities.

The recommendations can be integrated into the strategic noise maps and action plans provided for by the Environmental Noise Directive. This establishes the European framework for assessment, public information, and planning, while Member States set the relevant limit values. The EEA analysis does not directly amend the directive and does not introduce mandatory thresholds or additional deadlines.

For authorities in Romania, this approach may help identify schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods where exposure overlaps with vulnerabilities. Setting priorities for a particular locality nevertheless requires local maps and comparable demographic data; the European analysis does not provide a measurement of each resident’s exposure.

The EU aims to reduce by 30% by 2030 the number of people affected by chronic annoyance due to transport noise, compared with 2017, as part of the Zero Pollution Action Plan. The EEA estimates that the objective will not be achieved without additional measures. Protecting vulnerable groups must be included in these interventions so that reducing overall exposure also benefits communities with fewer resources.

https://2eu.brussels/ro/news/eea-circa-60-000-de-scoli-si-15-000-de-unitati-medicale-din-europa-se-afla-in-zone-cu-zgomot-al-transporturilor-de-cel-putin-55-db