And the Dutch city with the best air quality is…

In its latest study of clean air in European cities, the European Environment Agency (EEA) has revealed that the Dutch city with the cleanest air is Groningen, with Amsterdam occupying the bottom spot.

EEA investigates air quality in 323 European cities

The EEA’s study examined air quality in 323 cities in the EU, Switzerland, Norway, and Iceland, using data from measuring stations across the continent and investigating the amount of particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide in the air. 

Research found that the city with the cleanest air was Umea in Sweden, while the Polish city of Nowy Sacz suffers from the most pollution. But the good news is that, according to the EEA’s report, the overall air quality in Europe is improving.

City in the Netherlands with the cleanest air is Groningen

The ranking places Groningen in 32nd place overall, while, perhaps unsurprisingly, Amsterdam took the lowest ranking out of the nine Dutch cities involved in the study, coming in 182nd place. Groningen's performance is relatively unsurprising considering that in 2020, it was named the healthiest city in the Netherlands.

Like Amsterdam, Nijmegen ranked fairly low - 136th - for its “moderate” air quality (particulate levels from 10 to below 15 μg/m3). Meanwhile, all six of the other cities involved in the study - The Hague, Enschede, Breda, Heerlen, Utrecht, and Rotterdam -  were found to have "good" air quality (particulate levels under 10 μg/m3), with four of them also scoring spots in the top 50:

• 32. Groningen 
• 34. The Hague
• 35. Heerlen
• 41. Enschede
• 43. Breda
• 113. Utrecht
• 123. Rotterdam
• 136. Nijmegen
• 182. Amsterdam

For more information about the EEA's Air Quality Report, click here.