Noise not only makes people sick (far beyond just hearing problems) but is also the cause of thousands of premature deaths. In France, nearly 80% of noise control funding comes from households, who mostly handle acoustic treatment and reinforcement of their homes as a curative measure. The remaining funding is split between companies (17%) and public administrations (5%). However, only a small portion of this funding goes toward source reduction.

A major health risk

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ambient noise is one of the main environmental risks to physical and mental health and well-being, and it significantly contributes to the burden of disease.
A report published in late June by the European Environment Agency (EEA) indicates that more than 20% of Europeans (around 112 million people) are exposed to noise levels that are dangerous to health. This rises to 30% (150 million people) when using the thresholds set by the WHO, as EU thresholds are less stringent than those of the WHO.
The main source of noise is transportation (road, rail, and air). In the EU, transportation noise ranks as the third most significant environmental threat to health, behind air pollution and temperature-related factors. Road traffic noise affects 92 million Europeans beyond the threshold of 55 dB (see inset Noise levels), compared to 18 million for rail noise and 2.6 million for air traffic noise.

Transport noise: what are the effects?

Noise from transport affects the health of exposed populations in various ways: sleep disturbance (4.6 million people affected in the EU), reading skill impairments in children (560 million children), behavioral issues (63,000), increased risk of myocardial infarction, high blood pressure, obesity, and worsening of psychological disorders such as depression or anxiety.
In its June 2025 report, the EEA specifies that in 2021, nearly 17 million people were long-term disturbed and 4.6 million suffered from severe sleep disturbances. It also indicates that 2021 saw the emergence of 22,000 new cases of type 2 diabetes and 50,000 new cases of cardiovascular diseases, that transport-related noise pollution led to the loss of 1.3 million healthy life years, and that nearly 66,000 premature deaths were linked to long-term exposure to transport noise.

Spending on noise and vibration control

In 2022, spending dedicated to noise and vibration control in France amounted to 3 billion euros, just 5% of the country’s total environmental protection spending (67.7 billion euros). Nearly two-thirds (1.95 billion euros) represent capital expenditures, and the other third (1.07 billion euros) represents current expenditures.
More than 96% (2.26 billion euros) were devoted to the construction of protective infrastructure, 5% (146 million euros) to source prevention, and 1% (23 million euros) to measurement, monitoring, and analysis.
Households are by far the main financial contributors to these expenses, with 2.36 billion euros (78%), followed by companies (502 million euros, or 17%), and far behind, public administrations (166 million euros, or 5%, with 119 million euros, i.e. 4%, from local authorities and 47 million euros, i.e. 1%, from ministries and national public bodies). Households allocated 2.2 billion euros to acoustic treatment and reinforcement of their homes, and 0.1 billion to the replacement of exhaust silencers in their vehicles. Public administrations (State and local authorities), for their part, fund noise reduction programs (e.g. remediation of black spots near transport infrastructure) and offer tax incentives (grants, tax credits for acoustic insulation projects).

What solutions exist to act on noise?

According to the European CEPA classification (Classification of Environmental Protection Activities), noise control covers activities aimed at reducing noise and vibrations in neighborhoods and public spaces, the installation and management of anti-noise / anti-vibration equipment, and the adaptation of equipment and vehicles to make them quieter.
More specifically, reducing road noise at the source can be achieved primarily through a change in engine technology (e.g. electric engines), changes to road surface materials, or optimization of traffic speed. It can also be done by modifying sound propagation with an obstacle between the source and residents (building, noise barrier, natural embankment). Acoustic insulation improvements in buildings complement these actions.
In all these areas, professionals continue to innovate. This is the case, for example, with Paulstra SNC, a specialist in anti-vibration solutions for industry, rail, marine, offshore, and defense sectors. Other players are also innovating in measurement and monitoring, which is the first step in managing noise pollution. For example, the company Acoem EM offers analytical solutions for continuous noise and vibration monitoring, as well as air quality monitoring for construction sites, airports, wind turbines, tunnels, ports, and smart cities. Nexelec, on the other hand, offers intelligent detectors and sensors for air quality and ambient parameters, including noise. These companies, among others, will present their noise management solutions at Pollutec 2025, from October 7 to 10 at Lyon Eurexpo.

An under-addressed form of pollution

To date, noise control remains largely overlooked by public authorities. Yet noise ranks as the top environmental concern for more than one in four French citizens (ahead of littering and air, water, and soil pollution).
Moreover, the social cost of noise in France is estimated at 147 billion euros per year, according to a 2021 study by Ademe and the CNB. Similarly, the annual cost of transport-related noise pollution alone in the EU is estimated at 95.6 billion euros according to the latest EEA report.
In addition to its health effects, noise pollution can lead to economic consequences such as productivity loss or property devaluation. For the European Commission, every euro spent on noise-reduction measures could generate ten euros in social benefits. It is high time to act decisively.