14 Countries with the Best Air Quality and Their Cleanest Cities
If you have respiratory problems or want to live a healthier, better life, you should consider moving to a country with good air quality. Some countries and cities take air pollution very seriously and do their best to keep their air clean and their citizens healthy.
I’ve compiled a list of the countries with the best air quality and their cleanest cities, so you can see if your city is on the list or if you might want to move to one of these places.
1. Punaauia, French Polynesia
French Polynesia had the lowest AQI (Air Quality Index) score of any country in 2023 at an average of 3.2! For reference, Bangladesh had the highest AQI in 2023 at 79.9. Punaauia had an average AQI of 18 in 2023.
Punaauia is a small community on Tahiti with a population of about 29,000. It’s right on the ocean and backed by lush green mountains. They have incredible beaches with white sand, crystal clear water, and an average temperature of around 85 degrees year-round. Sounds like heaven on earth!
2. Moka, Mauritius
Another little island nation is Mauritius, which had an AQI of 3.5 in 2023, its cleanest city is Moka, with an AQI of 19.
Moka is a small village outside the country’s capital, Port Louis. It’s wedged between two mountains and has a population of about 9,000.
3. Húsavík, Iceland
Iceland is one of the cleanest countries in the world with an AQI of 4 while Húsavík, Iceland has an AQI of 13. Húsavík might be the cutest town you’ve ever seen.
It’s right on the water, full of colorful buildings, and has a little harbor and green rolling hills behind the city. With a population of around 2,300, it’s no wonder they can keep the air here so clean!
4. Saint George’s, Grenada
Grenada is the country with the fourth cleanest air and the city with the lowest AQI for 2023 was Saint George’s, with an average AQI of 23.
This is the capital city of Grenada, and another colorful, gorgeous city right on the water with green mountains behind it. It seems this is the code for having a city with clean air!
5. Hamilton, Bermuda
Bermuda is a country in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with an AQI of 4.1, while Hamilton has an AQI of 23. It’s the capital of Bermuda and is, you guessed it, a colorful city right on the water.
As a capital city, it doesn’t have a lot of people living here with a population of only 1,100. Most people come in from the surrounding towns and villages to work during the week and then return home on the weekend.
6. Wellington, New Zealand
New Zealand is known for being one of the most beautiful places on the planet. I mean, have you seen the Lord of the Rings movies? Wellington is the capital of New Zealand, right on the water, and surrounded on both sides by mountains.
The average AQI for New Zealand in 2023 was 4.3 and in Wellington, it was 17. This number is great for a capital city with a population of 215,200. They have very strict laws in place for businesses about the amount of emissions they’re allowed and if they go above the approved numbers, they will have to go to court and get fined.
7. Underwood, Australia
In 2023, Australia had an AQI of just 4.5! The cleanest city in Australia was Underwood with an AQI of 9. It’s located in a suburb of Brisbane with a population of around 7,000.
There’s not much in this small town but houses, stores, and locals who love their city. The only thing that could cause some bad pollution is a brush fire or a bad dust storm. Besides the possible, uncontrollable natural disasters, this is a clean place to live and just outside a major city!
8. San Juan, Puerto Rico
This is another capital city with a great average AQI. San Juan had an average of 2.7 in 2023, while the country of Puerto Rico had an AQI of 19. Puerto Rico is a little island in the Caribbean and a territory of the US.
San Juan is another, colorful city on the water with high rises and an incredibly, rich culture. It’s a pretty underrated country in my opinion and with air as clean as they have, I’m surprised that more Americans haven’t made Puerto Rico their permanent home.
9. Palmse, Estonia
Estonia is already a tiny county, but this microscopic little village with a population of just 61.
Last year, it averaged a 4.1 AQI with the county of Estonia averaging a 20 AQI. I guess if only 61 people lived in one town, then there wouldn’t be anyone who could pollute.
10. Kuusamo, Finland
In 2023, this was the cleanest city in the world. Its average AQI was 1, while Finland had an average of 20. This small city of just 14,000 is just 40 miles south of the Arctic Circle.
That means temperatures can consistently stay in the teens and get down to zero in the winter. You might have seen some of the viral pictures and videos coming out of this part of Finland of people snowboarding down a slope with trees covered in snow.
11. Bredkalen, Sweden
Sweden had an average AQI of 21 last year, Bredkalen being their cleanest city with an average of 17.
This is another town you could drive through without even knowing. It’s located in the center of Sweden and is also a city right outside of the Arctic Circle.
12. Bodø, Norway
Sticking with the Nordic countries, we have Bodø, Norway. This is the first city on our list inside the Arctic Circle. Norway had an average AQI of 26, while Bodø had one of just 18.
Because this city is inside the Arctic Circle, it has a phenomenon called the Midnight Sun, where the sun doesn’t set for 44 days straight! This city also has a great view of the Northern Lights, visible from September to April.
13. Tullamore, Ireland
Ireland’s AQI in 2023 was 26, matching that of the small city of Tullamore, Ireland.
It has a population of 16,000, is along the Grand Canal, and stretches almost 100 miles from Dublin to Shannon Harbour.
14. Lamas de Olo, Portugal
Portugal had an average AQI of 28, with Lamas de Olo having one of 16.
This beautiful town has rolling green hills, a little city center with a church, and rock walls that separate the farms. It looks more like it could be a little town in Ireland because of its cuteness and greenery.
What Do You Think?
Do you live in any of these cities? Which of these cities would you want to move to? Let me know in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
