The 15 Countries With the Cleanest Air in Europe

Europe is a stunning continent with a diverse landscape. There are broad stretches of nature, mixed in with big bustling cities. The continent as a whole houses only 9.7% of the world’s population, which likely contributes to its fantastic air quality.

Europe has one of the best air qualities in the world. While Australia takes the cake as the continent with the least amount of air pollution, many countries in Europe rank highly compared to those around the world. The Nordic countries, in particular, perform highly when it comes to air ranking.

The air quality around the world is assessed by the IQAir ranking. This organization is dedicated solely to assessing and communicating the air quality of regions around the world.

While Europe’s not perfect, and there are certainly pockets of cities with poor air quality, much of the country is breathing fairly clean air. Air quality is described as particles per square meter. For the purpose of this list, PM2.5 (particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter) are analyzed. Check this list out to discover the 15 countries with the cleanest air in Europe.

15. Latvia

The country of Latvia has the fifteenth-best air quality in all of Europe. Its particles per square meter in 2022 was 10.1. Particles per square meter is a way of measuring the presence of pollution in the air. There are other ways of measuring air quality, including the Air Quality Index (AQI). The AQI is built on several factors, and countries receive a specific ranking for how their air quality is. Latvia’s air quality index number is 42, which is in the good category.

14. Switzerland

Switzerland is just above Latvia in the global rankings of air quality. This country’s particles per square meter is 10, as opposed to the 10.1 possessed by Latvia. Switzerland is much larger in size, with 8,703,405 residents. While the AQI for Switzerland is slightly better than Latvia’s AQI, the most polluted city in the country is far worse. Chiasso is Switzerland’s most polluted city, with an AQI number of 62 in 2022. 62 is outside of the good category, instead receiving a moderate reading of air quality. However, Switzerland as a whole still has comparably great air quality.

13. Ukraine

The country of Ukraine ranks thirteenth in Europe for air quality. In 2022, this country had a reading of 9.7 particles per square meter. The population of Ukraine is the largest on our list so far, with 43,592,855 as of 2022. Ukraine has a mix of cities in the good and moderate category of the Air Quality Index. In 2022, Uman’ was the cleanest city, with an AQI of 28. Velyki Dmytrovychi was the most polluted city, with an AQI reading of 59.

12. United Kingdom

The United Kingdom takes the twelfth spot on the list of highest-ranking countries in Europe by air quality. The United Kingdom is the most populous on this list, with a population of 67,326,569 residents as of 2022. Despite its population, the United Kingdom has been able to keep its air quality under control. In 2022, there were 8.9 particles per square meter. The AQI reading for the UK as a whole is 37. The cleanest city in the UK is in Scotland, and that is Midlothian. Midlothian has an AQI of 16. The most polluted city in the country is Faversham, England, with a 51 on the Air Quality Index.

11. Denmark

The first Nordic country on this list is Denmark. Denmark, like all of the Nordic countries, boasts exceptional air quality. Denmark has the eleventh-best air quality in Europe. In 2022, Denmark measured 8.6 particles per square meter on average. The population of Denmark is fairly small, with only 5,865,733 residents recorded in 2022. The overall AQI of the country is slightly less than the UK, with a reading of 36. The least polluted city in Denmark is Aarhus, which records a 35 on the AQI, while the most polluted city is the capital. Copenhagen, despite being the most polluted city, has an AQI of 36.

10. Liechtenstein

Another country in Europe with high-ranking air quality is the small country of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is located in the Alps, nestled between the countries of Switzerland and Austria. In 2022, Liechtenstein’s particles per square meter were 8.3. The country has a population of only 39,039 residents, and its AQI measured at 34 in 2022. The biggest city in Liechtenstein is Schaan, but the population of that city is just under 6,000. Because of its location and small population size, Liechtenstein can achieve good air quality.

9. Portugal

Located on the Iberian Peninsula is the ninth-best country for air quality in Europe. That country is Portugal! In 2022, the country of Portugal measured a particles per square meter recording of 8.1. This put Portugal in the top 30 countries in the world for air quality. Portugal has a moderate population of 10,325,147. A significant portion of the population of Portugal lives in the capital of Lisbon (552,700 residents). The country also boasts a great AQI, with an average read of 33.

8. Ireland

Ireland takes the eighth-place spot for air quality in Europe. In 2022, Ireland recorded a particles per square meter measurement of 7.5, which placed the country in the top 30 countries in the world in terms of air quality. Ireland has a population of 5,033,165 and, while its population is higher than many countries in Scandinavia, it’s fairly moderate overall. The AQI of Ireland in 2022 was 31, with Claremorris as its cleanest city. Claremorris had an AQI of 21, while Croom, the most polluted city in Ireland, had a reading of 52.

7. Luxembourg

The small country of Luxembourg takes the seventh-place spot for air quality on the continent of Europe. Luxembourg is located between Belgium, Germany, and France. It has a small population of 640,064 and is only 998 square miles in size. Luxembourg’s air quality is good, with a 7.4 particles per square meter measurement in 2022. The country of Luxembourg ranks 21st in the world for air quality.

6. Norway

Norway is in the sixth-place spot for air quality in all of Europe. Of course, Norway is a Nordic country, which is the region of Europe that exceeds all other regions when it comes to quality of air. In 2022, Norway’s air quality measure was 7 particles per square meter. The population of Norway is 5,408,320 residents. The country’s cleanest city is Ulsteinvik, which ranks as a 10 on the air quality index (AQI). The most polluted city in Norway is Sandvika, which has an AQI of 48. Even Sandvika’s air quality qualifies as good.

5. Sweden

Yet another Nordic country with fantastic air quality is Sweden. Sweden is located in the northern portion of Europe, bordering Norway and Finland. Sweden ranked in the top twenty countries for air quality in 2022. That year, Sweden’s air quality consisted of 6.2 particles per square meter. The population of Sweden is the highest in the Top 5, with 10,415,811 residents in the country as of 2022. Sweden’s air quality, like many of the countries on this list, has improved in recent years. In 2022, Sweden had 7.4 PM 2.5 particles per square meter!

4. Andorra

Andorra is another European city with fantastic air quality. The country of Andorra is located on the Iberian Peninsula, sandwiched between France and Spain. In 2022, Andorra’s air quality was 5.4 particles per square meter, making the country the fourth-best in air quality in Europe. Its neighbors, France and Spain, don’t have global ranks that can be bragged about. In 2022, France had 11.5 particles per square meter and Spain had 10.9. Those countries have much larger populations. Higher population density has been shown to lower the quality of the air.

3. Finland

Finland is another Nordic country with a fantastic reputation for air quality. For some years, Finland has been the highest-ranking country in Europe for air quality. In 2022, Finland ranked just below Estonia in Europe and also globally. The particles per square meter in Finland in 2022 were 5. The population of Finland is much larger than the top two countries, with 5,541,017 residents in 2022. The country’s average AQI in 2022 was 21.

2. Estonia

The country of Estonia also has one of the best air qualities in Europe, as well as the world. In 2022, Estonia’s air quality was 4.9 particles per square meter. This gave Estonia the rank as the twelfth-best air quality in the world. Estonia has a moderate population of 1,330,932 residents. It’s just south of Finland and is considered one of the Nordic countries. As mentioned above, the Nordic countries of Europe have fantastic air quality. Estonia’s average AQI in 2022 was 20.

1. Iceland

Finally, Iceland takes the first-place spot for air quality in Europe. The particulate matter per square meter in Iceland is only 3.4, making it the sixth-best air quality in the world in 2022. The average AQI in Iceland in 2022 was 14. While the capital of Iceland, Reykjavik, takes some quality dips, the country overall has a very good ranking. The population of Iceland is only 372,520 residents, many of whom are concentrated in the capital city.