{
 "id": "bathing-water-classifications-england",
 "title": "Bathing water quality classifications, England",
 "category": "energy-environment",
 "summary": "Designated bathing waters in England classed excellent, good, sufficient or poor for water quality each year since 2016, from Defra's annual statistics. None were classified in 2020.",
 "unit": "count",
 "chart": "line",
 "volatile": false,
 "status": "Official statistics, not accredited",
 "notes": [
  "The Environment Agency classifies each designated coastal and inland bathing water from four years of samples taken in the bathing season, May to September, against the Bathing Water Regulations. A water classed poor is advised against bathing for the following season.",
  "No classifications were made for 2020, when sampling was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic. The number of designated waters grows as new sites are added: 449 were assessed in 2025."
 ],
 "provenance": {
  "publisher": "Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs",
  "publisher_url": "https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs",
  "source_page": "https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/bathing-water-quality-statistics",
  "licence": "OGL-3.0",
  "licence_name": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.",
  "retrieved_at": "2026-10-30T11:41:32Z",
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 },
 "meta": {
  "latest_period": "2025",
  "assessed": {
   "2016": 413.0,
   "2017": 413.0,
   "2018": 420.0,
   "2019": 420.0,
   "2020": null,
   "2021": 417.0,
   "2022": 419.0,
   "2023": 423.0,
   "2024": 450.0,
   "2025": 449.0
  },
  "govuk_page": "/government/statistics/bathing-water-quality-statistics",
  "report": "/government/statistics/bathing-water-quality-statistics/2025-statistics-on-english-coastal-and-inland-bathing-waters-a-summary-of-compliance-with-the-bathing-water-amendment-england-and-wales-regulatio",
  "attachment_title": "2025 Statistics on English coastal and inland bathing waters: A summary of compliance with the Bathing Water (Amendment) (England and Wales) Regulations 2025"
 },
 "headline": {
  "label": "Bathing waters classed excellent",
  "value": 297.0,
  "period": "2025",
  "note": "of 449 assessed"
 },
 "series": [
  {
   "name": "Excellent",
   "points": [
    {
     "x": "2016",
     "v": 287.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2017",
     "v": 271.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2018",
     "v": 282.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2019",
     "v": 302.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2020",
     "v": null
    },
    {
     "x": "2021",
     "v": 295.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2022",
     "v": 302.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2023",
     "v": 281.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2024",
     "v": 289.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2025",
     "v": 297.0
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "name": "Good",
   "points": [
    {
     "x": "2016",
     "v": 98.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2017",
     "v": 109.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2018",
     "v": 106.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2019",
     "v": 90.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2020",
     "v": null
    },
    {
     "x": "2021",
     "v": 100.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2022",
     "v": 87.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2023",
     "v": 99.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2024",
     "v": 95.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2025",
     "v": 95.0
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "name": "Sufficient",
   "points": [
    {
     "x": "2016",
     "v": 22.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2017",
     "v": 26.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2018",
     "v": 23.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2019",
     "v": 21.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2020",
     "v": null
    },
    {
     "x": "2021",
     "v": 18.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2022",
     "v": 18.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2023",
     "v": 25.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2024",
     "v": 29.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2025",
     "v": 25.0
    }
   ]
  },
  {
   "name": "Poor",
   "points": [
    {
     "x": "2016",
     "v": 6.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2017",
     "v": 7.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2018",
     "v": 9.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2019",
     "v": 7.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2020",
     "v": null
    },
    {
     "x": "2021",
     "v": 4.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2022",
     "v": 12.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2023",
     "v": 18.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2024",
     "v": 37.0
    },
    {
     "x": "2025",
     "v": 32.0
    }
   ]
  }
 ]
}