Country · Non-EU · 3 stations
United Kingdom air quality
PM2.5 averages 9.8 µg/m³ - 2.0× the WHO 2021 guideline. Above the WHO 2021 guideline but within the current EU limit.
Data updated 2026-06-14
- 9.8
- PM2.5 µg/m³
- 2.0×
- vs WHO guideline
- 21.4
- NO2 µg/m³
- 3
- monitoring stations
The verdict
United Kingdom's air is above the WHO 2021 guideline but within the current EU limit. Of the pollutants tracked, NO2 is furthest from health guidance at 2.1× the WHO level.
- 2.0×
- PM2.5 vs WHO 2021 guideline
- 2.1×
- NO2 vs WHO 2021 guideline
How United Kingdom compares to WHO 2021 guidelines
Annual mean as a multiple of the WHO guideline, 1.0× = at the health guideline
- NO2
NO2: 21.4 µg/m³
2.14 × WHO guideline
- PM2.5
PM2.5: 9.8 µg/m³
1.96 × WHO guideline
- PM10
PM10: 17.6 µg/m³
1.17 × WHO guideline
- O3 0.57
O3: 56.7 µg/m³
0.57 × WHO guideline
- SO2 0.04
SO2: 1.8 µg/m³
0.04 × WHO guideline
What this shows Bars above 1.0× exceed the WHO 2021 health guideline. United Kingdom's NO2 sits at 2.1× - the pollutant with the widest gap to close. The WHO levels are health-evidence guidelines, stricter than the EU's legal limits.
United Kingdom in plain numbers
The population-weighted annual mean of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) across United Kingdom's monitoring network was 9.8 μg/m³ - 2.0× the World Health Organization 2021 guideline of 5 μg/m³. This is above the WHO 2021 guideline but within the current EU limit. NO2 averaged 21.4 μg/m³ (2.1× the WHO 2021 annual guideline of 10). Ozone (O3) averaged 56.7 μg/m³ and SO2 averaged 1.8 μg/m³.
The European Environment Agency does not publish a PM2.5-attributable mortality figure for United Kingdom, which is not an EEA reporting country. Concentration data here is drawn from the national agency. For a UK mortality estimate, see the UK Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants (COMEAP).
Two thresholds matter for everyday interpretation. The current EU legal limit for annual PM2.5 is 25 µg/m³ under Directive 2008/50/EC, a regulatory ceiling that drives action plans and infringement procedures when exceeded. The 2024 revised directive (EU 2024/2881) lowers it to 10 µg/m³ by 2030. The World Health Organization 2021 guideline of 5 µg/m³ is a health-based recommendation, not a legal limit, reflecting the latest evidence on cardiovascular and respiratory mortality. Most European countries clear the EU legal limit but exceed the WHO guideline several times over, the gap policymakers are now closing.
Monitoring stations (3)
| Station | City | Type | Operator | Pollutants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Birmingham-Centre | Birmingham | traffic | Defra | PM25,PM10,NO2,O3 |
| London-Marylebone Road | London | traffic | Defra / Ricardo Energy & Environment | PM25,PM10,NO2,O3 |
| Manchester-Piccadilly | Manchester | background | Defra | PM25,PM10,NO2,O3 |
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is United Kingdom's air safe to breathe?
United Kingdom's annual mean PM2.5 is 9.8 µg/m³, which is 2.0× the World Health Organization's 2021 health guideline of 5 µg/m³. The WHO regards no level of fine-particulate exposure as completely without risk, and most of Europe sits above the guideline. This is general information, not medical advice, if you have a respiratory or cardiovascular condition, consult a healthcare professional about your local exposure.
Does United Kingdom meet the EU air-quality limit?
The current EU annual limit for PM2.5 is 25 µg/m³ under Directive 2008/50/EC. At 9.8 µg/m³, United Kingdom is within that legal limit. The EU's revised directive lowers the limit to 10 µg/m³ from 2030, which it currently meets.
Where does this air-quality data come from?
Concentration figures come from the European Environment Agency's Air Quality e-Reporting database (Dataflow E1a), Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, and national agencies. The PM2.5-attributable mortality estimate is from the EEA Burden of Disease assessment (2022) and is a modeled estimate, not a count of individual deaths.
Health note: This page is for general information and is not medical advice. Air-quality figures are annual statistics, not real-time readings, and a clean annual average can still include unhealthy episodes. For exposure guidance, especially if you have a respiratory or cardiovascular condition, consult a healthcare professional and your national agency. See our full disclaimer.
What this means
Read United Kingdom's numbers against the WHO guideline, not only the EU limit, being EU-legal does not mean the air meets health guidance.
- Compare United Kingdom with the rest of Europe on PM2.5, NO2, and ozone. Country rankings
- Check a specific monitoring station for its pollutant readings and data-capture rate. Browse stations
- Understand what NO2 does to health and where its limits sit. About NO2
- Read why a country can be EU-legal yet still above WHO health guidance. EU vs WHO guide
Annual means smooth over daily and seasonal peaks; a clean annual average can still include unhealthy episodes. Mortality figures are modeled estimates, not counted deaths.
Source: European Environment Agency Air Quality e-Reporting Database (Dataflow E1a). Mortality: EEA Burden of Disease (2022), WHO 2021 concentration-response functions. See our methodology.
Source: European Environment Agency, Air Quality e-Reporting Database (Dataflow E1a).
Source: World Health Organization, Global Air Quality Guidelines, 2021 update.
Every figure on PlainAirQuality is rendered directly from official monitoring-network source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on official monitoring-network source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.