Noise pollution Noise causes thousands of deaths every year
Road traffic noise causes up to 2000 premature deaths in Switzerland every year. It is therefore a significant health risk, emphasized the Swiss League Against Noise in the run-up to a day of action.
25.04.2026, 09:01
SDA
According to the latest national noise monitoring, over 850,000 people were exposed to harmful or annoying traffic noise in 2021. Road traffic accounts for the largest share, affecting around 740,000 people day and night.
Aircraft noise affected around 80,000 people, mainly at night, and rail traffic around 33,000. The survey is carried out every five years. The figures have fallen significantly compared to 2015, thanks in part to measures such as noise-reducing road surfaces, speed reductions and quieter freight wagons.
Noise at night also has a significant impact on health, as the Neuroth hearing center chain pointed out. During sleep, the body regenerates, processes impressions and reduces stress - processes that can be disrupted by noise.
Traffic, loud neighbors or snoring partners worsen the quality of sleep and impair concentration, stress resistance and mental performance.
A study by the Mainz University Medical Center showed that even low noise levels of 41 to 44 decibels can trigger measurable stress reactions. Snoring, on the other hand, reaches 60 to 70 decibels, which is close to the volume of a vacuum cleaner. Noise at night can also damage hearing in the long term. The World Health Organization recommends an average night-time noise level of no more than 40 decibels.
However, traffic noise is particularly damaging. With 1000 to 2000 premature deaths per year, it is far more than just a nuisance, according to the Swiss League Against Noise. On Wednesday, it wants to draw attention to the problem with a day of action.
