Crap Towns / City of Edinburgh / Street cleanliness
How clean are the streets in City of Edinburgh?
In 2025-26, 92.8% of the streets checked in the City of Edinburgh council area passed as clean, about the same as Scotland's 92.2%. That is up from 90.5% in 2010-11.
In 2022 the bin strike left the Royal Mile knee-deep in rubbish in the middle of the Festival. The tourists took photos of it.
| Year | Here | Scotland |
|---|---|---|
| 2010-11 | 90.5% | 95.4% |
| 2011-12 | 92.5% | 96.1% |
| 2012-13 | 90.4% | 95.8% |
| 2013-14 | 90.1% | 96.1% |
| 2014-15 | 88.7% | 93.9% |
| 2015-16 | 90.1% | 93.4% |
| 2016-17 | 92.4% | 93.9% |
| 2017-18 | 88.7% | 92.2% |
| 2018-19 | 92.0% | 92.8% |
| 2019-20 | 92.9% | 92.2% |
| 2020-21 | 81.8% | 90.1% |
| 2021-22 | 82.2% | 89.7% |
| 2022-23 | 86.3% | 90.6% |
| 2023-24 | 90.6% | 92.1% |
| 2024-25 | 89.2% | 91.7% |
| 2025-26 | 92.8% | 92.2% |
| Council | % of streets passed as clean, 2025-26 |
|---|---|
| West Lothian | 88.4% |
| East Lothian | 91.0% |
| Midlothian | 91.7% |
| City of Edinburgh | 92.8% |
| Fife | 96.1% |
| Across Scotland | 92.2% |