The 50 Cleanest Cities in the World

Hamburg, Germany Cleanest Cities in the world - 1

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If you enjoy clean air and clean streets (who doesn’t?), sometimes big cities can be stress-inducing —all that smog, noise, and people packed into tight spaces is enough to make any neat freak flip out.

But it turns out that not all big cities are dirty.

We analyzed data for the 200 largest cities in the world to pinpoint the ones that are the absolute squeaky cleanest. Our data drew on air pollution levels (including particles of 10 micrometers in diameter or less and 2.5 micrometers or less), according to the World Health Organization, the quality-of-living rank according to global consultancy Mercer (Ed Note: Not every city has a Mercer rank), and the home country’s Environmental Performance Score , according to Yale, Columbia, and the World Economic Forum.

In addition to those figures, we factored in on-the-ground, anecdotal evidence on the part of our well-traveled editorial staff and threw in bonus points if any of these locations earned a spot on Monocle’s Quality of Living index . With that in mind, here are the 50 cleanest cities in the world.

rio de janeiro city names Cleanest Cities in the world - 2

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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

Seoul Cleanest Cities in the world - 3

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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

Daegu, South Korea cleanest cities in the world - 4

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Population: 2,492,994 Air pollution (PM10): 45 Air pollution (PM2.5): 24 Environmental Performance Score: 62.3 Clean City Score: 48.56

Caracas, Venezuela cleanest cities in the world - 5

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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

Kwangju, South Korea Cleanest Cities in the world - 6

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Population: 1,477,780 Air pollution (PM10): 41 Air pollution (PM2.5): 22 Environmental Performance Score: 62.3 Clean City Score: 49.70

Daejeon, South Korea Cleanest Cities in the world - 7

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Population: 1,535,028 Air pollution (PM10): 41 Air pollution (PM2.5): 22 Environmental Performance Score: 62.3 Clean City Score: 49.78

São Paulo, Brazil Cleanest Cities in the world - 8

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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

Bogotá, Colombia Cleanest Cities in the world - 9

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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

Medellin, Colombia Cleanest Cities in the world - 10

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Population: 2,441,123 Air pollution (PM10): 45 Air pollution (PM2.5): 26 Environmental Performance Score: 65.22 Clean City Score: 50.91

Davao City, Philippines Cleanest Cities in the world - 11

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Population: 1,632,991 Air pollution (PM10): 21 Air pollution (PM2.5): 11 Environmental Performance Score: 57.65 Clean City Score: 51.24

Buenos Aires, Argentina Cleanest Cities in the world - 12

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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

Porto Alegre, Brazil Cleanest Cities in the world - 13

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Population: 1,476,867 Air pollution (PM10): 29 Air pollution (PM2.5): 13 Environmental Performance Score: 60.7 Clean City Score: 52.30

Warsaw Poland Cleanest Cities in the world - 14

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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

 Alexandria, Egypt Cleanest Cities in the world - 15

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Population: 4,616,625 Air pollution (PM10): 23 Air pollution (PM2.5): 17 Environmental Performance Score: 61.21 Clean City Score: 53.26

Moscow, Russia Cleanest Cities in the world - 16

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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

Cali, Colombia Cleanest Cities in the world - 17

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Population: 2,400,653 Air pollution (PM10): 41 Air pollution (PM2.5): 17 Environmental Performance Score: 65.22 Clean City Score: 53.53

Curitiba, Brazil Cleanest Cities in the world - 18

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Population: 1,879,355 Air pollution (PM10): 24 Air pollution (PM2.5): 11 Environmental Performance Score: 60.7 Clean City Score: 53.62

Bucharest, Romania Cleanest Cities in the world - 19

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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

Budapest, Hungary Cleanest Cities in the world - 20

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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

Singapore Cleanest Cities in the world - 21

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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

Kaohsiung, Taiwan Cleanest Cities in the world - 22

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Population: 2,778,918 Air pollution (PM10): 46 Air pollution (PM2.5): 30 Environmental Performance Score: 72.84 Clean City Score: 57.70

Tainan, Taiwan Cleanest Cities in the world - 23

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Population: 1,885,252 Air pollution (PM10): 44 Air pollution (PM2.5): 29 Environmental Performance Score: 72.84 Clean City Score: 58.16

Taichung, Taiwan Cleanest Cities in the world - 24

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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

New Taipei City, Taiwan Cleanest Cities in the world - 25

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Population: 3,954,929 Air pollution (PM10): 28 Air pollution (PM2.5): 19 Environmental Performance Score: 72.84 Clean City Score: 63.44

Taipei, Taiwan Cleanest Cities in the world - 26

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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

Fukuoka, Japan Cleanest Cities in the world - 27

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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

Chicago cleanest cities in the world - 28

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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

Osaka, Japan Cleanest Cities in the world - 29

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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

Los Angeles, cleanest cities in the world - 30

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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

Houston, cleanest cities in the world - 31

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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

Nagoya, Japan Cleanest Cities in the world - 32

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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

Philadelphia Cleanest Cities in the world - 33

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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

Yokohama, Japan Cleanest Cities in the world - 34

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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

Kyoto, Japan Cleanest Cities in the world - 35

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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

Tokyo, Japan cleanest cities in the world - 36

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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

Phoenix,Cleanest Cities in the world - 37

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Population: 1,563,025 Air pollution (PM10): 16 Air pollution (PM2.5): 9 Environmental Performance Score: 71.19 Clean City Score: 66.19

montreal city names Montreal cleanest cities in the world - 38

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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

Toronto cleanest cities in the world - 39

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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

Rome, Italy Cleanest Cities in the world - 40

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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

Melbourne, Australia Cleanest Cities in the world - 41

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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

Sapporo, Japan Cleanest Cities in the world - 42

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Population: 1,918,096 Air pollution (PM10): 19 Air pollution (PM2.5): 10 Environmental Performance Score: 74.69 Clean City Score: 68.89

Vienna, Austria Cleanest Cities in the world - 43

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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

Berlin, Germany Cleanest Cities in the world - 44

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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

Barcelona, Spain Cleanest Cities in the world - 45

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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

Hamburg, Germany Cleanest Cities in the world - 46

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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

Auckland, New Zealand Cleanest Cities in the world - 47

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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

Madrid, Spain Cleanest Cities in the world - 48

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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

New York City, United States Cleanest Cities in the world - 49

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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

Paris, France Cleanest Cities in the world - 50

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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

London, United Kingdom Cleanest Cities in the world - 51

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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

After admiring every cleanest city in the world, be sure to also be aware of these 25 Countries Where You Shouldn’t Drink the Tap Water.