Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Switzerland

Switzerland: Average nitrate concentration in freshwater was 15.68 milligrams per litre in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
15.68 milligrams per litre
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
18th
of 34 countries
All-time high
38.35 milligrams per litre
in 1999
All-time low
14.07 milligrams per litre
in 2017
Years of data
23
1999–2021

Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Switzerland, 1999–2021

0102030401999201020211999: 38.4 milligrams per litre2000: 16.5 milligrams per litre2001: 16.5 milligrams per litre2002: 16.5 milligrams per litre2003: 16.5 milligrams per litre2004: 16.8 milligrams per litre2005: 16.5 milligrams per litre2006: 17.1 milligrams per litre2007: 16.6 milligrams per litre2008: 16 milligrams per litre2009: 16 milligrams per litre2010: 15.7 milligrams per litre2011: 15.2 milligrams per litre2012: 15.3 milligrams per litre2013: 16.3 milligrams per litre2014: 15.3 milligrams per litre2015: 14.8 milligrams per litre2016: 14.7 milligrams per litre2017: 14.1 milligrams per litre2018: 14.2 milligrams per litre2019: 14.9 milligrams per litre2020: 15 milligrams per litre2021: 15.7 milligrams per litre

Source: European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in milligrams per litre.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Switzerland is 15.68 milligrams per litre, measured in 2021.

That represents a change of up 4.7% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Switzerland peaked at 38.35 milligrams per litre in 1999 and was at its lowest, 14.07 milligrams per litre, in 2017.

Switzerland ranks 18th of 34 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 38.35 milligrams per litre 38.35 milligrams per litre 38.35 milligrams per litre 1
2000s 16.5 milligrams per litre 15.97 milligrams per litre 17.1 milligrams per litre 10
2010s 15.04 milligrams per litre 14.07 milligrams per litre 16.26 milligrams per litre 10
2020s 15.33 milligrams per litre 14.98 milligrams per litre 15.68 milligrams per litre 2

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 15 Slovenia 18.2 milligrams per litre compare
  2. 16 Austria 17.17 milligrams per litre compare
  3. 17 Portugal 16.12 milligrams per litre compare
  4. 19 Slovakia 15.66 milligrams per litre compare
  5. 20 Turkey 15.26 milligrams per litre compare
  6. 21 Cyprus 14.59 milligrams per litre compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More environment data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Switzerland?
Average nitrate concentration in freshwater in Switzerland was 15.68 milligrams per litre in 2021, according to European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest average nitrate concentration in freshwater recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 38.35 milligrams per litre in 1999.
What is the lowest average nitrate concentration in freshwater recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 14.07 milligrams per litre in 2017.
How does Switzerland rank for average nitrate concentration in freshwater?
Switzerland ranks 18th out of 34 countries with data for 2021.
Is average nitrate concentration in freshwater rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average nitrate concentration in freshwater. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Average nitrate concentration in freshwater
Unit
milligrams per litre
Source
European Environment Agency (2023) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 655 data points, 1992–2021
Last refreshed

Average annual concentration of nitrate in groundwater.