Smart Air has put together the “Top 15 Least Polluted and Best AQI Cities in the European Union in 2024” list to highlight the city with the best air quality in the EU.  This is an important list because air pollution is a major cause of death in the European Union, with 238,000 lives lost in 2021 alone. Almost 98% of Europeans breathe air with unsafe pollution levels.

*This ranking is derived from PM2.5 air pollution data from the two years leading up to the publication date.

Rankings: 15 Best AQI Cities in the EU

1. Uppsala, Sweden (3.5 µg/m3)

2. Umeå, Sweden (3.6 µg/m3)

3. Faro, Portugal (3,6 µg/m3)

4. Reykjavik, Iceland (3.9 µg/m3)

5. Oulu, Finland (4 µg/m3)

6. Tampere, Finland (4 µg/m3)

7. Norrköping (4.1 µg/m3)

8. Funchal, Portugal (4.4 µg/m3)

9. Talinn, Estonia (4.4 µg/m3)

10. Narva, Estonia (4.6 µg/m3)

11. Stockholm, Sweden (4.6 µg/m3)

11. Helsinki, Finland (4.9 µg/m3)

11. Bergen, Norway (5 µg/m3)

12. Saint Denis, France (5.1 µg/m3)

13. Cork, Ireland (5.2 µg/m3)

14. Trondhelm, Norway (5.2 µg/m3) 

15. Tartu, Estonia (5.7 µg/m3)

Read more: The 15 Most Polluted Cities in the European Union

What is the Least Polluted Country in the European Union?

Sweden continues to lead the way in air quality, with 5 of the top 15 least polluted cities in Europe, including Uppsala and Umeå, which hold the top two spots. The Northern and Western Baltic regions remain some of the cleanest, with 14 cities from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Portugal, and Iceland appearing in the top rankings.

Notably, even the capital regions of Sweden (Stockholm), Finland (Helsinki), and Estonia (Tallinn) made the list, showing that clean air is achievable even in larger urban areas. However, it’s important to note that only 7 of the top 15 cities fall below the WHO’s PM2.5 target of 5 µg/m³, highlighting the continued need for cleaner air initiatives.

Why is the concentration of PM2.5 so important?

Particulate matter with a diameter equal to or less than 2.5 micrometers is regarded as one of the most hazardous types of pollution. They penetrate our circulation and lungs, resulting in numerous deadly illnesses.

Data bias

Certain EU cities, such as Valletta, are not reported on due to a lack of data. Therefore, they could not be taken into account for the ranking.

Open Data

The following link provides access to all the air pollution data for EU cities included in the ranking: https://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/air/urban-air-quality/european-city-air-quality-viewer.

Data source: EEA