Ranking of the least polluted cities in Europe in 2021
In recent years, efforts have been made to monitor pollution levels within cities as concerns about the quality of life and the environment increase.
Smog, fine dust and waste prevent man from enjoying the earthly paradises of our planet. Fortunately, there are also countries with administrations that are particularly careful not to destroy nature.
The society Numbeo looked at various parameters such as air, water, waste, cleaning, sound and light pollution, green spaces and more in order to draw up a ranking of the least polluted European cities.
As you can see, these are mostly places in Northern Europe that have been sensitive to ecological policies for years and that hopefully can be an example to everyone.
Unfortunately, Iitalia is not well positioned: Bologna is in 53rd place, Rome in 73rd, Milan in 74th, Turin in 77th and Naples in 82nd.
Here is the ranking of the least polluted cities in Europe!
Hide
Index
- Tallin, Estonia, pollution index 23.17
- Luxembourg, pollution index 21.15
- Copenhagen, Denmark – pollution index 20.78
- Gothenburg, Sweden – pollution index 19.12
- Vienna, Austria – pollution index 18.44
- Stockholm, Sweden – pollution index 17.74
- Zurich, Switzerland – pollution index 17.29
- Malmo, Sweden – pollution index 16.24
- Reykjavik, Iceland – pollution index 15.26
- Helsinki, Finland – pollution index 12.65
- User questions and comments
10 – Tallin, Estonia, pollution index 23.17
Capital of Estonia and medieval town, in addition to being part of the Unesco heritage it is also a very green resort.
It has achieved the goal on produce energy from renewable sources of the EU and to reduce pollution has decided to offer for free to the whole population public transport.
9 – Luxembourg, pollution index 21.15
Capital of the small homonymous state this city is nevertheless the one that has the highest car share of the whole old continent.
Therefore, to try to combat traffic and air pollution, it has given its citizens theopportunity to use public transport for free.
Thanks to this incentive, the city is in ninth position among the 10 least polluted cities in Europe.
8 – Copenhagen, Denmark – pollution index 20.78
The Danish capital is considered one of the greenest cities in the world.
For years, advanced environmental policies and planning have been moving in the direction of being carbon neutral by 2025.
Furthermore citizens move mainly on bicycles to which hundreds of km of cycle paths are dedicated or using the highly efficient public transport network.
All this reduces noise and air pollution.
7 – Gothenburg, Sweden – pollution index 19.12
Among the least polluted cities in Europe, this Swedish town stands out with many green areas and a passion for everything that is organic.
This industrial city since the 1980s he wanted to move in the direction of sustainability and improving the quality of life.
Today 90% of the accommodation facilities have ecological certification, public transport is almost entirely electric and the sharing of electric bikes and scooters is widespread.
6 – Vienna, Austria – pollution index 18.44
The capital of the Habsburg Empire ranks sixth and is also considered one of the most livable cities.
The quality of water and air, the presence of immense ones green spaces, the use of bicycles and the spread of hybrid cars make Vienna a very green location.
Not to forget the attention to biological food and to sustainable fashion made with organic fabrics and within fair structures.
5 – Stockholm, Sweden – pollution index 17.74
The Swedish capital was the first city in the European Union to win the Green Capital award in 2013.
It has always improved and, thanks to its ability to save water, ai means that produce low CO2, in the presence of numerous green spaces and his energy innovations, has earned the 5th place in the ranking.
4 – Zurich, Switzerland – pollution index 17.29
One of the most sustainable cities in the world, and not only in Europe, it is Zurich that since 2008 has improved its energy efficiency by investing in wind and geothermal plants, giving incentives to purchase solar panels ed smart appliances.
Furthermore, almost all the constructions are built following the Minergie standard which allows to make buildings with low consumption if not zero emissions.
3 – Malmo, Sweden – pollution index 16.24
The city it has a decidedly green heart despite being born as an industrial city.
Everywhere parks and green areas are scattered, public transport is powered with natural gas, the structures I’m sustainable and with environmental certifications and bars, restaurants and shops offer organic products at Km0.
The pride of the district of Vasta Hamnen which fully respects the health of the earth by exploiting food waste to create biogas, using photovoltaics in private and public structures and boats use wind energy.
2 – Reykjavik, Iceland – pollution index 15.26
The capital of Iceland with 120,000 inhabitants, has earned the second place in the ranking of the least polluted cities in Europe and is aiming to become a zero-emission metropolis.
The workhorse of this locality is thewind energy and only 0.1% of the electricity is produced from fossil fuels.
Public transport runs on hydrogen and all the houses use hydroelectric and geothermal energy also possible thanks to the subsoil where geysers and volcanoes lie.
1 – Helsinki, Finland – pollution index 12.65
The capital of modern, creative Finland hi-tech but above all green, ranks first among the least polluted cities in Europe.
For some years now it has been one of the places that have been working to be “zero emissions” by lowering the consumption of heating in homes, using the photovoltaic for producing electricity and using only electric transport.
Another flagship is the Think Sustainably project which involves different sectors, including tourism, with the aim of increasing the approach to a green life.
Below is the summary table
| Position | City | Nation | Pollution Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Helsinki | Finland | 12.65 |
| 2 | Reykjavik | Iceland | 15.26 |
| 3 | Malmo | Sweden | 16.24 |
| 4 | Zurich | Switzerland | 17.29 |
| 5 | Stockholm | Sweden | 17.74 |
| 6 | Vienna | Austria | 17.44 |
| 7 | Gothenburg | Sweden | 19.12 |
| 8 | Copenhagen | Denmark | 20.78 |
| 9 | Luxembourg | Luxembourg | 21.15 |
| 10 | Tallin | Estonia | 23.17 |
Classification criteria
The ranking is based on data collected by Numbeo on the Pollution Index. The value is the result of the following pollution indices:
- Air quality
- Access to drinking water
- Water pollution
- Waste management
- Perception of the population on cleanliness and order
- Sound and light pollution at night
- Presence of public green
- Degree of discomfort in living in the city due to pollution
The Pollution Index, however, attributes greater weight to items concerning air and water pollution and less to other indices such as noise pollution and the degree of discomfort of the population.
