River swimming in Finland: 2025 water quality
Finland reported 15 river bathing waters for the 2025 season. 80% were classified Excellent — 4.5 points below the 84.5% for all 304 bathing waters in the country — and 1 was Poor. 9 sites have been Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025.
river bathing waters
Excellent in 2025
Poor in 2025
Find the nearest Excellent river to you →
Map of river bathing waters
How river bathing waters in Finland rated since 2015
Counts for the sites in today’s 2025 inventory; the Excellent share is calculated over classified sites only.
| Season | Classified | Excellent | Excellent share | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 14 | 12 | 85.7% | 1 |
| 2024 | 14 | 11 | 78.6% | 0 |
| 2023 | 14 | 13 | 92.9% | 1 |
| 2022 | 14 | 13 | 92.9% | 1 |
| 2021 | 14 | 13 | 92.9% | 1 |
| 2020 | 13 | 12 | 92.3% | 1 |
| 2019 | 13 | 12 | 92.3% | 0 |
| 2018 | 13 | 11 | 84.6% | 0 |
| 2017 | 13 | 11 | 84.6% | 0 |
| 2016 | 14 | 12 | 85.7% | 0 |
| 2015 | 14 | 11 | 78.6% | 0 |
Most consistent Excellent rivers
9 sites were Excellent in all eleven seasons. Ordered by the length of the unbroken Excellent run ending in 2025.
- HANHENKAULA 11 seasons
- KESANIEMI 11 seasons
- KIVIRANTA 11 seasons
- LOUHIOJA 11 seasons
- OUNASKOSKI 11 seasons
- TUIRA 11 seasons
- UIMALAITOS 11 seasons
- UIMALANNIEMI 11 seasons
- UITONRANTA 11 seasons
- SAHALAMPI 7 seasons
- ILOSAARI 5 seasons
- KULTAKOUKKU 1 season
Rivers rated Poor in 2025
- PIKKUKOSKI Poor in 5 of 11 classified seasons
Changes from 2024 to 2025
Improved (1)
- KULTAKOUKKU Good → Excellent
Declined (1)
- PIKKUKOSKI Good → Poor
Near which major cities?
Sites within 60 km (straight line) of a major city covered by our city guides:
- Helsinki 1 river bathing waters within 60 km
Rivers compared across Europe
| # | Country | Sites | Excellent | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Germany | 37 | 73% | 0 |
| 2 | Czechia | 91 | 72.5% | 0 |
| 3 | Netherlands | 78 | 69.2% | 4 |
| 4 | Portugal | 118 | 43.2% | 8 |
| 5 | France | 444 | 41% | 62 |
| 6 | Poland | 100 | 40% | 10 |
| 7 | Spain | 164 | 35.4% | 28 |
| 8 | Hungary | 45 | 33.3% | 1 |
Countries with at least 30 river bathing waters. Networks differ in size and in how sites are designated, so this is a descriptive comparison, not a safety ranking.
Quick answers
- How many river bathing waters in Finland are rated Excellent?
- 12 of 15 (80%) in the 2025 EEA classification.
- Which rivers in Finland have the best long-term record?
- 9 sites were Excellent in every season from 2015 to 2025, for example HANHENKAULA, KESANIEMI, KIVIRANTA. See the full list.
- Can I check current conditions?
- The annual class is not a live status. Current results and bans are published on Uimavesi (LVV). Each site page on BathingWaterFinder also shows a weather forecast, including heavy-rain warnings.
← Finland overview · sea and coast in Finland · lakes in Finland · All Finland bathing waters · How the classes work