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The loudest cities in Switzerland, ranked by noise exposure

Among Switzerland's 13 ranked agglomerations, Biel/Bienne is the noisiest: its exposed population lives with Lden 55–70 dB of day-evening-night transport noise, #136 of all European cities measured. The typical Switzerland city in the list centres near Lden 62.5 dB.

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Switzerland agglomerations ranked by measured Lden transport-noise exposure (EU Environmental Noise Directive, 2022 round)
Switzerland # City Europe # Lden Lnight Source Population
1 Biel/Bienne 136 55–70 45–60 Road 107,953
2 Lucerne 137 55–70 45–60 Road 236,386
3 St. Gallen 175 55–70 45–60 Road 167,517
4 Winterthur 176 55–70 45–60 Road 146,238
5 Zug 186 55–70 45–60 Road 135,171
6 Baden-Brugg 197 55–70 45–60 Road 113,240
7 Basel 198 55–70 45–60 Road 554,536
8 Lausanne 199 55–70 45–60 Road 437,806
9 Zurich 200 55–70 45–60 Road 1,417,961
10 Geneva 204 55–70 45–60 Road 602,056
11 Lugano 211 55–70 45–60 Road 113,240
12 Bern 220 55–70 45–60 Road 421,240
13 Fribourg 233 55–70 45–60 Road 107,985

Across Switzerland, 13 cities make the measured European ranking — 4,561,329 people combined. In order of Lden exposure: Biel/Bienne (55–70 dB), Lucerne (55–70 dB), St. Gallen (55–70 dB), Winterthur (55–70 dB), Zug (55–70 dB), Baden-Brugg (55–70 dB), Basel (55–70 dB), Lausanne (55–70 dB), then 5 more, down to Fribourg (55–70 dB). The midpoint sits near Lden 62.5 dB. Road traffic is the dominant source in all 13. The most populous, Zurich at 1,417,961 residents, ranks #200 across Europe with exposed-resident Lden of 55–70 dB. The WHO road-traffic guideline is 53 dB Lden by day and 45 dB Lnight at night, which most of these Switzerland cities exceed for their noise-exposed residents.

Every range is reported exposure: the EEA's 2022 END dataset, counting people above the 55 dB Lden threshold from road, rail, aircraft and industrial sources — nothing modelled by us. Lnight, the night-time figure, is the level most closely tied to sleep disturbance, which is why the EU reports it separately from the daytime Lden. Open any Switzerland city below for its full figures, then measure your own street with the free live meter.

Which Switzerland cities are the noisiest?

By this EEA data the noisiest Switzerland cities are the same as the loudest, since "noisiest" here means measured road, rail, aircraft and industrial exposure: Biel/Bienne, Lucerne, St. Gallen top the list, led by Biel/Bienne at Lden 55–70 dB (road traffic). The full ranking is in the table above.

Switzerland noise: the numbers

  • 13 Switzerland agglomerations are in the measured European ranking — 8th-most of any country here.
  • Loudest: Biel/Bienne at exposed-resident Lden 55–70 dB (European #136).
  • Quietest ranked: Fribourg at Lden 55–70 dB; median near Lden 62.5 dB.
  • Road traffic is the dominant source in 13 of the 13.
  • Combined population of the 13: 4,561,329.

How this ranking is measured

These are the same measurements behind the European ranking of all 314 cities — the EU Environmental Noise Directive strategic noise maps (road, rail, aircraft and industry), 2022 reporting round, harmonised by the European Environment Agency, with no estimation by us. Lden is the annual-average day-evening-night level; only residents above the 55 dB Lden threshold are reported, so the ranges describe the noise-exposed population.

How loud is your street?

Rankings describe city-wide exposure — your block is its own story. Check it with the free online decibel meter, or open any city above for its full figures.

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