Air Quality score
Health-oriented air-quality conditions with context from WHO, EEA, and EPA benchmarks.
Air Quality in Edinburgh82/100
Air Quality
Air Quality in Edinburgh
Edinburgh performs solidly on air-quality benchmarks, with traffic-related pollutants the main focus. Air Quality in Edinburgh scores 82/100, placing it in the strong group of the indexed set.
- Last updated
- 2026-05-16
- Data year
- 2025
- Module score
- 82/100
Clean-air score
82/100
Solid directional performance against pollutant benchmarks.
Primary pollutant watch
NO₂
Traffic-related nitrogen dioxide remains a key focus.
Monitoring confidence
High
Public monitoring supports transparent comparison.
Edinburgh air quality data table
This HTML table mirrors the visible score cards so important comparison data is never trapped in a browser-only chart.
| Metric | Value | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Clean-air score | 82/100 | Compact form and traffic policy support results. |
| Primary pollutant watch | NO₂ | Low-emission zone work targets this exposure. |
| Monitoring confidence | High | UK monitoring is well-instrumented. |
Air Quality city comparison
A crawlable comparison across a selection of same-country and top-scoring cities. The complete set is reachable via the rankings, the cities index, and each city profile.
| City | Score | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh (this page) | 82/100 | Edinburgh performs solidly on air-quality benchmarks, with traffic-related pollutants the main focus. |
| Oxford | 78/100 | Oxford's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Cambridge | 78/100 | Cambridge's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Brighton | 78/100 | Brighton's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Bournemouth | 76/100 | Bournemouth's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Bristol | 76/100 | Bristol's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Cardiff | 76/100 | Cardiff's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Sheffield | 76/100 | Sheffield's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| London | 75/100 | London's clean-air policy has improved exposure trends, with PM2.5 and nitrogen dioxide remaining the key health signals. |
| Liverpool | 75/100 | Liverpool's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Reading | 74/100 | Reading's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Southend-on-Sea | 74/100 | Southend-on-Sea's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Milton Keynes | 74/100 | Milton Keynes's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Manchester | 74/100 | Manchester's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Leeds | 74/100 | Leeds's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Glasgow | 74/100 | Glasgow's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Belfast | 74/100 | Belfast's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Northampton | 72/100 | Northampton's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Birmingham | 72/100 | Birmingham's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Preston | 70/100 | Preston's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Luton | 70/100 | Luton's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Middlesbrough | 68/100 | Middlesbrough's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Brighton and Hove | 67/100 | Brighton and Hove's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Barnsley | 67/100 | Barnsley's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Stirling | 66/100 | Stirling's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Stockport | 62/100 | Stockport's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Bolton | 62/100 | Bolton's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Chester | 60/100 | Chester's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Wrexham | 60/100 | Wrexham's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Gloucester | 58/100 | Gloucester's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
| Swindon | 58/100 | Swindon's air-quality profile is a directional indicator framed against WHO and regional benchmarks; verified city-level measurements appear in the dedicated air-quality dataset section once integrated. |
Interpretation
Scoring prioritizes health against WHO guidance and UK/EEA monitoring. Across the indexed cities the air quality average is 64/100, so Edinburgh is 18 points above the median. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 2 institutional references.
Read this module with the main open the edinburgh city profile and the read the scoring methodology page so single-topic pages do not hide tradeoffs across dimensions.
Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation. Verified datasets are being integrated; official sources should be used for critical decisions.
Sources
2 institutional references inform this view, listed below with reliability notes. Structured indicators on this page are directional and intended for orientation; verified datasets are being integrated and official sources should be used for critical decisions.
- World Health Organization: WHO Global Air Quality Guidelines
Used to normalize air-quality indicators toward health-protective benchmarks.
- European Environment Agency: Air Quality Status Report
Used where European city comparisons need monitored air-quality context.
Continue exploring
These links connect module pages back to city, ranking, and sibling topic paths with crawlable href values.
Edinburgh city profile
Return to the complete Edinburgh profile with all module scores and source context.
Cost of Living in Edinburgh
Affordability, essential costs, and day-to-day financial pressure for residents.
Energy in Edinburgh
Clean-energy readiness, grid resilience, and solar or efficiency opportunity signals.
Safety in Edinburgh
Personal safety, institutional trust, and resilience signals informed by international safety and crime data.
Internet Speed in Edinburgh
Broadband and mobile connectivity quality, latency, and digital-readiness signals for residents and remote workers.
Climate Risk in Edinburgh
Climate exposure, hazard frequency, and adaptation context for floods, heat, storms, and wildfires.
Overall Intelligence
A balanced ranking of cities across affordability, air quality, clean-energy readiness, and resilience.
Quality of Life
Cities that combine strong services, mobility, safety, clean air, and resilience into a healthy day-to-day profile.