Malta is the European Union’s noisiest country, according to an in-depth analysis of EU noise levels carried out by the European Environmental Agency.

In a report published this week, “Quiet areas in Europe – The environment unaffected by noise pollution”, the EEA reported that the countries with the highest proportions of noisy areas are found in smaller, more densely populated countries such as Malta, Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands.

On the other hand, Finland, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom have the highest proportions of quiet areas.

In general, differences between countries are the result of several interrelated factors: the size of the country, the population density and the transport infrastructure. In fact, according to the EEA, population density offers a robust explanation for the percentage of potential quiet areas in Europe.