EU-27 urban population exposed to air pollution concentrations above standards 2021
In 2021, less than one percent of the European Union's urban population were exposed to concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) above EU air quality standards. However, EU air quality standards are much less strict than those recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). When WHO guidelines are taken into account, almost 100 percent of the EU's urban population were exposed to levels of PM2.5 that are damaging to health.