European air quality · 28 countries · EEA AEI
Independent EU air-quality data, in plain numbers
PM2.5 Average Exposure Indicator for 28 European countries, with the WHO 2021 guideline and the EU regulatory limit side by side. Station pages apply a model from that country AEI, not each station's own hourly series.
According to the European Environment Agency Burden of Disease assessment, PM2.5 was linked to 238,378 premature deaths in 2022 across 27 countries with a published row (the United Kingdom has none). Country PM2.5 uses the Average Exposure Indicator for 2021-2023, transcribed in August 2026, not live e-Reporting station feeds. See our methodology.
Download the EU-27 AEI extract cited on this page: eea-aei-statistics.csv (CC BY 4.0). Also on Statistics.
Quick browse
- Countries
- 28
- Stations
- 39
- Pollutants
- 7
- EU+UK pop-weighted PM2.5
- 10.9 μg/m³
The 2021-2023 AEI picture
The population-weighted PM2.5 mean across the 28 countries we track is 10.9 µg/m³ - 2.2× the WHO 2021 health guideline of 5 µg/m³, though still under the current EU limit of 25 µg/m³ (which falls to 10 by 2030).
- 10.9 µg/m³
- PM2.5, population-weighted EU+UK
- 26 of 28
- countries above the WHO PM2.5 guideline
- Ireland
- cleanest air (1 µg/m³)
- Poland
- highest PM2.5 (16 µg/m³)
The European Environment Agency attributes 238,378 premature deaths to PM2.5 in 2022 across 27 countries with a published Burden of Disease row - a modeled estimate using WHO 2021 concentration-response functions, not a counted toll. The EEA does not publish a UK row.
Where Europe's air is most polluted
Annual mean PM2.5 by country, the 12 highest of 28 tracked
- Poland
Poland - 16 µg/m³ PM2.5
16 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Bulgaria
Bulgaria - 15.6 µg/m³ PM2.5
15.6 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Slovakia
Slovakia - 15.2 µg/m³ PM2.5
15.2 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Croatia
Croatia - 14.4 µg/m³ PM2.5
14.4 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Cyprus
Cyprus - 14.4 µg/m³ PM2.5
14.4 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Romania
Romania - 14 µg/m³ PM2.5
14 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Slovenia
Slovenia - 14 µg/m³ PM2.5
14 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Hungary
Hungary - 13.9 µg/m³ PM2.5
13.9 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Italy
Italy - 13.9 µg/m³ PM2.5
13.9 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Greece
Greece - 13.3 µg/m³ PM2.5
13.3 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Czech Republic
Czech Republic - 12.2 µg/m³ PM2.5
12.2 µg/m³ PM2.5
- Spain
Spain - 11.1 µg/m³ PM2.5
11.1 µg/m³ PM2.5
What this shows Poland, Bulgaria, and Slovakia record the highest fine-particulate levels, reflecting heavier coal-based residential heating, older diesel fleets, and trans-boundary dust. Every country shown sits above the WHO 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Reference tables
The charts above summarize the same EEA Average Exposure Indicator extract. These tables publish the underlying country ranks and EU-vs-WHO limit benchmarks as sortable HTML for readers, journalists, and dataset crawlers.
Highest PM2.5 AEI (top 4)
Highest PM2.5 AEI (ranks 5–8)
Cleanest PM2.5 AEI
Pollutant limits (part 1)
| Pollutant | EU limit | WHO 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Benzene | 5 µg/m³ | - |
| Carbon Monoxide | 10 mg/m³ | 4 mg/m³ |
| Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10) | 40 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ |
| Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) | 25 µg/m³ | 5 µg/m³ |
Pollutant limits (part 2)
| Pollutant | EU limit | WHO 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Ground-level Ozone | 120 µg/m³ | 100 µg/m³ |
| Nitrogen Dioxide | 40 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ |
| Sulfur Dioxide | 125 µg/m³ | 40 µg/m³ |
Annual benchmarks
| Indicator | EU | WHO 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 annual mean | 25 µg/m³ (10 from 2030) | 5 µg/m³ |
| NO2 annual mean | 40 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ |
Fleet summary
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Countries tracked | 28 |
| Named stations | 39 |
| Regulated pollutants | 7 |
| EU+UK pop-weighted PM2.5 | 10.9 µg/m³ |
Dataset coverage
| Series | Coverage |
|---|---|
| PM2.5 AEI vintage | 2021-2023 urban-background mean (EEA Table 3) |
| Burden of Disease vintage | 2022 attributable mortality (27 countries) |
Source: EEA AEI Table 3 and full rankings. United Kingdom PM2.5 is an editorial composite outside the AEI table.
28 Countries
EU-27 + United Kingdom, ranked by PM2.5, NO2, ozone, and WHO exceedance days.
39 Named Stations
EEA station codes in an editorial register. Concentrations on those pages are modeled from country AEI, not each station's own hourly series.
7 Pollutants
PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3, SO2, CO, benzene — EU limits vs WHO 2021 guidelines.
Editorial & research
Rankings
Highest and lowest PM2.5 AEI boards plus modelled premature-death leaderboards from the live EEA extract.
Guides
Plain-language explainers: PM2.5 vs PM10, EU vs WHO limits, how air pollution affects health, and more.
Methodology
What is wired today: EEA AEI Table 3, Burden of Disease deaths, and modeled station pages.
Pollutants
Every regulated EU pollutant: PM2.5, PM10, NO2, O3, SO2, CO, benzene, limits, health impact, sources.
Research
Original analyses from the AEI and Burden of Disease extract, with WHO 2021 guidelines beside EU limits.
Start with a guide
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PlainAirQuality?
PlainAirQuality is a free, independent data portal. Country PM2.5 uses the European Environment Agency Average Exposure Indicator for 28 European countries. Other country pollutant means (PM10, NO2, O3, SO2) are still editorial composites and labeled as such. Station pages apply a classification-adjusted model from that country AEI; they are not each station's own hourly series. Every page shows the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive limit beside the WHO 2021 guideline.
Where does the data come from?
Two wired EEA series, transcribed in August 2026. (1) Average Exposure Indicator for PM2.5, Table 3 of the Air Quality Status Report 2025, the three-year urban-background mean for 2021-2023. The United Kingdom is not in that table; its PM2.5 figure is an editorial composite. (2) Burden of Disease PM2.5 mortality for 2022, 27 countries with a published row (no UK row). We do not currently download EEA Dataflow E1a hourly series, Copernicus CAMS grids, or live national-agency feeds. Mentions of those sources elsewhere are context for benchmarks, not a claim that those feeds populate today's numbers.
What pollutants do you track?
The seven pollutants regulated by the 2008 EU Ambient Air Quality Directive plus the WHO 2021 update: Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ground-level Ozone (O3), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Benzene (C6H6). For each pollutant page we publish the EU limit value, the stricter WHO 2021 guideline, primary emission sources, health impact summary, and the EN-standard reference measurement method.
How does the WHO 2021 guideline differ from the EU limit?
The WHO 2021 Global Air Quality Guidelines tightened recommended exposure limits significantly. The annual PM2.5 guideline dropped from 10 µg/m³ (2005) to 5 µg/m³ (2021). The annual NO2 guideline dropped from 40 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³. The current EU annual PM2.5 limit under Directive 2008/50/EC is 25 µg/m³, falling to 10 from 2030 under the 2024 revision. The current EU annual NO2 limit is 40 µg/m³. Until 2030, many European countries are EU-legal but still well above WHO health guidance. We show both benchmarks on every detail page.
How to use this data
Read PM2.5 against the WHO guideline, not only the EU limit, most of Europe is EU-legal but above health guidance.
- See how your country compares on PM2.5, NO2, ozone, and WHO exceedance days. Country rankings
- Open a named station page to see the classification-adjusted model from its country's AEI, not that station's own hourly series. Browse stations
- Understand what each pollutant does and where the EU and WHO limits sit. Pollutant guide
Annual means smooth over daily and seasonal peaks; a clean annual average can still include unhealthy episodes. Attributable-mortality figures are modeled estimates, not counted deaths.
About this data
How PlainAirQuality works, and why you can trust these numbers
What this site is
PlainAirQuality is an independent data portal. Country PM2.5 is the European Environment Agency Average Exposure Indicator (2021-2023) for 28 European countries. The Burden of Disease series attributes PM2.5 mortality for 2022 on 27 of those countries (no UK row). Station pages use disclosed classification-adjusted modeled estimates from that country AEI, not each station's own E1a hourly series. Other country pollutant means remain editorial composites and are labeled as such. Every figure sits beside the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive limit and the WHO 2021 guideline.
Editorial process
- Source. Transcribe EEA Average Exposure Indicator Table 3 (Air Quality Status Report 2025) and the EEA Burden of Disease PM2.5 mortality series. Named station codes are an editorial register, not an ingested hourly feed.
- Disclose. Label the United Kingdom PM2.5 row as an editorial composite (it is not in the AEI table). Leave UK deaths null. Do not present modeled station concentrations as that station's own time series.
- Publish. Build country, station, and pollutant pages that show each wired figure against both the EU limit value and the WHO 2021 guideline, and link the methodology for the ingest that actually ran.
Editorial independence & corrections
PlainAirQuality is independent and accepts no payment from any government agency, industry group, or environmental NGO. Found an error or an out-of-date figure? Email us via the contact page; we respond within two business days. See our methodology for full source attribution and refresh cadence.
Frequently asked
What is PlainAirQuality?
PlainAirQuality is a free, independent data portal. Country PM2.5 uses the European Environment Agency Average Exposure Indicator for 28 European countries. Other country pollutant means (PM10, NO2, O3, SO2) are still editorial composites and labeled as such. Station pages apply a classification-adjusted model from that country AEI; they are not each station's own hourly series. Every page shows the EU Ambient Air Quality Directive limit beside the WHO 2021 guideline.
Where does the data come from?
Two wired EEA series, transcribed in August 2026. (1) Average Exposure Indicator for PM2.5, Table 3 of the Air Quality Status Report 2025, the three-year urban-background mean for 2021-2023. The United Kingdom is not in that table; its PM2.5 figure is an editorial composite. (2) Burden of Disease PM2.5 mortality for 2022, 27 countries with a published row (no UK row). We do not currently download EEA Dataflow E1a hourly series, Copernicus CAMS grids, or live national-agency feeds. Mentions of those sources elsewhere are context for benchmarks, not a claim that those feeds populate today's numbers.
What pollutants do you track?
The seven pollutants regulated by the 2008 EU Ambient Air Quality Directive plus the WHO 2021 update: Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Coarse Particulate Matter (PM10), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Ground-level Ozone (O3), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), and Benzene (C6H6). For each pollutant page we publish the EU limit value, the stricter WHO 2021 guideline, primary emission sources, health impact summary, and the EN-standard reference measurement method.
How does the WHO 2021 guideline differ from the EU limit?
The WHO 2021 Global Air Quality Guidelines tightened recommended exposure limits significantly. The annual PM2.5 guideline dropped from 10 µg/m³ (2005) to 5 µg/m³ (2021). The annual NO2 guideline dropped from 40 µg/m³ to 10 µg/m³. The current EU annual PM2.5 limit under Directive 2008/50/EC is 25 µg/m³, falling to 10 from 2030 under the 2024 revision. The current EU annual NO2 limit is 40 µg/m³. Until 2030, many European countries are EU-legal but still well above WHO health guidance. We show both benchmarks on every detail page.