253,000
from chronic exposure to fine particulate matter
52,000
from chronic nitrogen dioxide exposure
22,000
from acute ozone exposure
Source: EEA, 2023, 'Harm to human health from air pollution in Europe: burden of disease 2023'.
Europe has put in place legislation to reduce emissions from harmful air pollutants. The National Emission reduction Commitments Directive (NECD) sets national emission reduction commitments for Member States and the EU for five important air pollutants: nitrogen oxides (NOx), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs), sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5). These pollutants contribute to poor air quality, leading to significant negative impacts on human health and the environment.
Every year, the EEA publishes the most recent reported data and a briefing on the EU Member States' progress in meeting their emission reduction commitments.
In 2022, 16 Member States met their respective 2020-2029 national emission reduction commitments under the EU’s National Emission reduction Commitments Directive (NECD) for each of the five main pollutants (nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and fine particulate matter), according to the EEA assessment. Eleven Member States failed to do so for at least one of five main air pollutants.
Reducing ammonia emissions remains the biggest challenge: nine Member States need to cut their 2022 emission levels to fulfil their 2020-2029 reduction commitments. The agriculture sector is the principal source, responsible for 93% of total ammonia emissions according to the EEA assessment. Ammonia emissions have decreased only slightly in many Member States since 2005 and in some cases have increased.
How clean is the air you’re breathing right now?
The European Air Quality Index provides information on the current air quality situation based on measurements from more than 2000 air quality monitoring stations across Europe.
The Index allows citizens to use an interactive map to check the air quality at station level, based on five key pollutants that harm people's health and the environment: namely particulate matter (both PM2.5 and PM10), ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide.
The index is also available as an app for mobile phones in all EU languages.
Air pollution from large European industry continues to cause significant damage to the environment, climate and people’s health.
The analysis shows that just a small fraction of the most polluting facilities — many of them coal power plants — causes half of the total damage.
However, the EEA analysis also shows that environmental and health costs of European industry have decreased by a third (-33%) from 2012 to 2021. The EU energy sector has accounted for the vast majority — about 80% — of the total decrease.
Notes: Exposure above EU standards: the EU urban population is exposed to PM2.5 annual concentrations above 25µg/m3; PM10 daily concentrations above 50µg/m3 for more than 35 days per year; O3 maximum daily 8-hour mean concentrations above 120µg/m3 for more than 25 days per year; NO2 annual concentrations above 40µg/m3; Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) annual concentrations above 1ng/m3; and sulphur dioxide (SO2) daily concentrations above 125µg/m3 for more than three days per year.
Exposure above WHO guidelines: the EU urban population is exposed to PM2.5 annual concentrations above 5µg/m3; PM10 annual concentrations above 15µg/m3; O3 maximum daily 8-hour mean concentrations exceeding 100µg/m3 for more than 3-4 days per year; NO2 annual concentrations above 10µg/m3; BaP annual concentrations above 0.12ng/m3; and SO2 daily concentrations above 40µg/m3 for more than three or four days per year.
Source: EEA, 2024.