Finland is rich in surface waters, with 187 888 lakes (larger than 500 square metres) and tens of thousands of kilometres of rivers and streams. Almost a tenth of the country area is covered with water.
The ecological status of the surface waters is classified as part of river basin management planning every six years. The assessment is conducted in all EU Member States.
The most recent assessment of the ecological status of surface waters in Finland shows that 87% of the surface area of the lakes and 68% of river length are in good or high condition. The freshwaters are in best condition in the Northern and Eastern Finland and in most degraded condition along the coast and in Southern Finland where anthropogenic pressures are most widespread.
Eutrophication is still the most significant problem. There have been no major changes in the status of inland waters since 2013, except for some improvement in certain sites. The status of the Gulf of Finland has improved, but for the most part the status of coastal waters is not good. The risks associated with groundwater have not increased. The assessment covered 6,875 lakes, rivers and coastal water bodies.
The assessment result can be viewed with online web map application Vaikuta vesiin.