The cleanest city in the world is London in the United Kingdom. It has remained the cleanest city in the world since 2020 to date Because of the consistent improvements in environmental sensitization, sanitation, and eco-initiatives. London has become an important tourist destination in the world, due to its low levels of pollution. You can check out the 20 cleanest cities before now.
Regardless of where we are wither America, Africa, or Europe, we are all very clear about the fact that human pollution of the earth and its ecosystem is increasing and its consequences are becoming more noticeable every day. Due to the demographic increase and the over-exploitation of natural resources, we have seen the hole in the ozone layer that grows incessantly, and dramatic deterioration of our environment for more than 30 years.
The world population is constantly increasing with its consequent waste and the greenhouse effect showing signs of imminent danger.
Despite this high rate of air, environmental pollution, and dirt production, there are still some cities that are found clean and free from such, at least to the lowest minimum. These cities and countries are making huge efforts to keep their environment clean by reducing water damage, carbon emissions, public littering, and cutting down on pollutions at levels.
Top 10 Cleanest Cities In The World
Alright! Cleanliness is an important criterion considered by many visitors traveling or visiting a city. More so, it is paramount to be clean and free from pollutants. Thus, we have put together the top 10 Cleanest Cities in the World that follow their practice of being clean, fresh, and sparkling.
We analyzed the 2018 and 2020 Environmental Performance Index released to obtain the list of top clean cities around the world. Data are drawn from air pollution levels and the home country’s Environmental Performance Score. Therefore, below are our list of the Top 10 Cleanest Cities in the World.
Based on these data’s, the cleanest cities in the world are:
| Rank | City | Country | Clean City Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | London | United Kingdom | 74.94% |
| 2. | Paris | France | 74.90% |
| 3. | New York City | United States | 74.89% |
| 4. | Madrid | Spain | 72.66% |
| 5. | Auckland | New Zealand | 71.97% |
| 6. | Hamburg | Germany | 71.32% |
| 7. | Barcelona | Spain | 70.46% |
| 8. | Berlin | Germany | 70.28% |
| 9. | Vienna | Austria | 70.17% |
| 10. | Tokyo | Japan | 70.09% |
| 11. | Sapporo | Japan | 68.89% |
| 12. | Melbourne | Australia | 68.83% |
| 13. | Rome | Italy | 67.96% |
| 14. | Toronto | Canada | 67.63% |
| 15. | Montreal | Canada | 67.02% |
| 16. | Phoenix | United States | 66.19% |
| 17. | Kyoto | Japan | 66.05% |
| 18. | Yokohama | Japan | 65.89% |
| 19. | Philadelphia | United States | 65.59% |
| 20. | Nagoya | Japan | 65.49% |
Top 50 Cleanest Cities In The World
This ranking was deduced by Bestlife from the Epi 2018 latest released 2020 Environmental Performance Index from the Yale University & World Economic Forum cleanest cities in the world.
Methodology and parameters used in ranking this list include air pollution levels (both PM10 and PM2.5), environmental health, ecosystem vitality, biodiversity, the quality of life ranking, the country’s EPI, and if the city has a spot on Monocle’s Quality of Life survey. Not all cities on the list have a Mercer and Monocle ranking.
The 50 cleanest cities in the world are:
50. Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
Population: 6,429,923
Air pollution (PM10): 49
Air pollution (PM2.5): 16
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 118
Environmental Performance Score: 60.7
Clean City Score: 47.70
49. Seoul – South Korea
Population: 10,197,604
Air pollution (PM10): 46
Air pollution (PM2.5): 24
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 76
Environmental Performance Score: 62.3
Clean City Score: 48.25
48. Daegu – South Korea
Population: 2,492,994
Air pollution (PM10): 45
Air pollution (PM2.5): 24
Environmental Performance Score: 62.3
Clean City Score: 48.56
47. Caracas – Venezuela
Population: 1,943,901
Air pollution (PM10): 47
Air pollution (PM2.5): 25
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 189
Environmental Performance Score: 63.89
Clean City Score: 49.40
46. Kwangju – South Korea
Population: 1,477,780
Air pollution (PM10): 41
Air pollution (PM2.5): 22
Environmental Performance Score: 62.3
Clean City Score: 49.70
45. Daejeon – South Korea
Population: 1,535,028
Air pollution (PM10): 41
Air pollution (PM2.5): 22
Environmental Performance Score: 62.3
Clean City Score: 49.78
44. São Paulo – Brazil
Population: 12,038,175
Air pollution (PM10): 35
Air pollution (PM2.5): 19
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 121
Environmental Performance Score: 60.7
Clean City Score: 49.90
43. Bogotá – Colombia
Population: 7,878,783
Air pollution (PM10): 52
Air pollution (PM2.5): 24
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 129
Environmental Performance Score: 65.22
Clean City Score: 50.04
42. Medellin – Colombia
Population: 2,441,123
Air pollution (PM10): 45
Air pollution (PM2.5): 26
Environmental Performance Score: 65.22
Clean City Score: 50.91
41. Davao City – Philippines
Population: 1,632,991
Air pollution (PM10): 21
Air pollution (PM2.5): 11
Environmental Performance Score: 57.65
Clean City Score: 51.24
40. Buenos Aires – Argentina
Population: 3,054,300
Air pollution (PM10): 26
Air pollution (PM2.5): 14
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 93
Environmental Performance Score: 59.3
Clean City Score: 51.24
39. Porto Alegre – Brazil
Population: 1,476,867
Air pollution (PM10): 29
Air pollution (PM2.5): 13
Environmental Performance Score: 60.7
Clean City Score: 52.30
38. Warsaw – Poland
Population: 1,753,977
Air pollution (PM10): 33
Air pollution (PM2.5): 26
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 81
Environmental Performance Score: 64.11
Clean City Score: 52.31
37. Alexandria – Egypt
Population: 4,616,625
Air pollution (PM10): 23
Air pollution (PM2.5): 17
Environmental Performance Score: 61.21
Clean City Score: 53.26
36. Moscow – Russia
Population: 12,197,596
Air pollution (PM10): 33
Air pollution (PM2.5): 20
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 168
Environmental Performance Score: 63.79
Clean City Score: 53.33
35. Cali – Colombia
Population: 2,400,653
Air pollution (PM10): 41
Air pollution (PM2.5): 17
Environmental Performance Score: 65.22
Clean City Score: 53.53
34. Curitiba – Brazil
Population: 1,879,355
Air pollution (PM10): 24
Air pollution (PM2.5): 11
Environmental Performance Score: 60.7
Clean City Score: 53.62
33. Bucharest – Romania
Population: 1,883,425
Air pollution (PM10): 31
Air pollution (PM2.5): 23
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 107
Environmental Performance Score: 64.78
Clean City Score: 54.04
32. Budapest – Hungary
Population: 1,759,407
Air pollution (PM10): 29
Air pollution (PM2.5): 25
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 78
Environmental Performance Score: 65.01
Clean City Score: 54.21
31. Singapore City – Singapore
Population: 5,535,000
Air pollution (PM10): 30
Air pollution (PM2.5): 18
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 25
Environmental Performance Score: 64.23
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 21
Clean City Score: 54.63
30. Kaohsiung – Taiwan
Population: 2,778,918
Air pollution (PM10): 46
Air pollution (PM2.5): 30
Environmental Performance Score: 72.84
Clean City Score: 57.70
29. Tainan – Taiwan
Population: 1,885,252
Air pollution (PM10): 44
Air pollution (PM2.5): 29
Environmental Performance Score: 72.84
Clean City Score: 58.16
28. Taichung – Taiwan
Population: 2,752,413
Air pollution (PM10): 44
Air pollution (PM2.5): 29
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 101
Environmental Performance Score: 72.84
Clean City Score: 58.29
27. New Taipei City – Taiwan
Population: 3,954,929
Air pollution (PM10): 28
Air pollution (PM2.5): 19
Environmental Performance Score: 72.84
Clean City Score: 63.44
26. Taipei – Taiwan
Population: 2,704,974
Air pollution (PM10): 28
Air pollution (PM2.5): 19
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 85
Environmental Performance Score: 72.84
Clean City Score: 63.45
25. Fukuoka – Japan
Population: 1,483,052
Air pollution (PM10): 35
Air pollution (PM2.5): 19
Environmental Performance Score: 74.69
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 14
Clean City Score: 63.89
24. Chicago – United States
Population: 2,695,598
Air pollution (PM10): 22
Air pollution (PM2.5): 12
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 47
Environmental Performance Score: 71.19
Clean City Score: 64.39
23. Osaka – Japan
Population: 2,691,742
Air pollution (PM10): 32
Air pollution (PM2.5): 17
Mercer Quality of Living Ran: 60
Environmental Performance Score: 74.69
Clean City Score: 64.89
22. Los Angeles – United States
Population: 3,884,307
Air pollution (PM10): 20
Air pollution (PM2.5): 11
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 58
Environmental Performance Score: 71.19
Clean City Score: 64.99
21. Houston – United States
Population: 2,489,558
Air pollution (PM10): 19
Air pollution (PM2.5): 10
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 67
Environmental Performance Score: 71.19
Clean City Score: 65.39
20. Nagoya – Japan
Population: 2,296,014
Air pollution (PM10): 30
Air pollution (PM2.5): 16
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 63
Environmental Performance Score: 74.69
Clean City Score: 65.49
19. Philadelphia – United States
Population: 1,567,872
Air pollution (PM10): 19
Air pollution (PM2.5): 9
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 56
Environmental Performance Score: 71.19
Clean City Score: 65.59
18. Yokohama – Japan
Population: 3,726,167
Air pollution (PM10): 29
Air pollution (PM2.5): 15
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 51
Environmental Performance Score: 74.69
Clean City Score: 65.89
17. Kyoto – Japan
Population: 1,474,570
Air pollution (PM10): 28
Air pollution (PM2.5): 15
Environmental Performance Score: 74.69
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 12
Clean City Score: 66.05
16. Phoenix – United States
Population: 1,563,025
Air pollution (PM10): 16
Air pollution (PM2.5): 9
Environmental Performance Score: 71.19
Clean City Score: 66.19
15. Montreal – Canada
Population: 1,649,519
Air pollution (PM10): 16
Air pollution (PM2.5): 10
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 23
Environmental Performance Score: 72.18
Clean City Score: 67.02
14. Toronto – Canada
Population: 2,731,571
Air pollution (PM10): 14
Air pollution (PM2.5): 8
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 16
Environmental Performance Score: 72.18
Clean City Score: 67.63
13. Rome – Italy
Population: 2,877,215
Air pollution (PM10): 28
Air pollution (PM2.5): 17
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 57
Environmental Performance Score: 76.96
Clean City Score: 67.96
12. Melbourne – Australia
Population: 135,959
Air pollution (PM10): 19
Air pollution (PM2.5): 8
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 16
Environmental Performance Score: 74.12
Clean City Score: 68.83
11. Sapporo – Japan
Population: 1,918,096
Air pollution (PM10): 19
Air pollution (PM2.5): 10
Environmental Performance Score: 74.69
Clean City Score: 68.89
10. Tokyo – Japan
Population: 13,513,734
Air pollution (PM10): 28
Air pollution (PM2.5): 15
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 47
Environmental Performance Score: 74.69
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 1
Clean City Score: 70.09
9. Vienna – Austria
Population: 1,863,881
Air pollution (PM10): 26
Air pollution (PM2.5): 18
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 1
Environmental Performance Score: 78.97
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 2
Clean City Score: 70.17
8. Berlin – Germany
Population: 3,517,424
Air pollution (PM10): 24
Air pollution (PM2.5): 16
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 13
Environmental Performance Score: 78.37
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 3
Clean City Score: 70.28
7. Barcelona – Spain
Population: 1,604,555
Air pollution (PM10): 24
Air pollution (PM2.5): 15
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 42
Environmental Performance Score: 78.39
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 17
Clean City Score: 70.46
6. Hamburg – Germany
Population: 1,787,408
Air pollution (PM10): 21
Air pollution (PM2.5): 14
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 19
Environmental Performance Score: 78.37
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 9
Clean City Score: 71.32
5. Auckland – New Zealand
Population: 1,495,000
Air pollution (PM10): 14
Air pollution (PM2.5): 6
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 3
Environmental Performance Score: 75.96
Clean City Score: 71.97
4. Madrid – Spain
Population: 3,207,247
Air pollution (PM10): 19
Air pollution (PM2.5): 10
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 51
Environmental Performance Score: 78.39
Monocle Quality of Life Rank: 10
Clean City Score: 72.66
3. New York City – United States
Population: 8,537,673
Air pollution (PM10): 16
Air pollution (PM2.5): 9
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 44
Environmental Performance Score: 79.89
Clean City Score: 74.89
2. Paris – France
Population: 2,229,621
Air pollution (PM10): 28
Air pollution (PM2.5): 18
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 38
Environmental Performance Score: 83.95
Clean City Score: 74.90
1. London – United Kingdom
Population: 8,787,892
Air pollution (PM10): 16
Air pollution (PM2.5): 9
Mercer Quality of Living Rank: 40
Environmental Performance Score: 79.89
Clean City Score: 74.94
Conclusion
It is important to make cleanliness a habit, and it surprising to know cities like New York rank so high considering it is the most populated city in the United States with over 8.3 million population and a density of 27,755 persons per square mile. Living in a clean environment enhances good health and long life.
These are the cities considered to be the cleanest in the world in 2021:
- London – United Kingdom (74.94)
- Paris – France (74.90)
- New York City – United States (74.89)
- Madrid – Spain (72.66)
- Auckland –New Zealand (71.97)
- Hamburg – Germany (71.32)
- Barcelona – Spain (70.46)
- Berlin – Germany (70.28)
- Vienna – Austria (70.17)
- Sapporo – Japan (68.89)
The cleanest city in the world right now is London in the United Kingdom. London has the highest clean city score in the world with an overall of 74.94% and an Environmental Performance Index score of 79.89%. London is closely followed by Paris and New York City with 74.90 and 74.90% respectively.
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