ISTANBUL

More than 110 million people across Europe are exposed to harmful noise pollution, leading to an estimated 66,000 premature deaths annually, a new report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) said Tuesday.

According to the report, transport noise is one of Europe’s leading environmental health risks, following air pollution and temperature-related issues.

Long-term exposure to transport noise is linked to 66,000 early deaths each year in Europe, as well as about 50,000 new cases of heart disease and 22,000 cases of type 2 diabetes.

Nearly 16.9 million Europeans suffer long-term annoyance from transport noise, while about 4.6 million face severe sleep disturbances. The study also linked noise pollution to thousands of depression and dementia cases.

About 15 million children live in areas with harmful noise levels, which the report said pose greater health risks than secondhand smoke.

The report further estimated that transport noise pollution causes at least EUR 95.6 billion in annual economic losses across Europe, amounting to 0.6% of GDP due to health-related economic impacts.

Researchers warned that the European Union is unlikely to meet its target of reducing the number of people chronically affected by transport noise by 30% by 2030 unless further measures are taken.

The study added that source-level measures supported by regulations are key to consistent and effective implementation, citing steps such as reducing urban speed limits, promoting public transport, and encouraging walking and cycling to cut road traffic noise.