EU/JRC: The residential sector, main contributor to PM2.5 pollution in the EU cities with 29%

"The average contribution of PM2.5 fine particles matter pollution from the residential sector in EU cities amounts to 29%, while industry PM2.5 recorded a decline thanks to implementation of EU policies on industrial emissions (average contribution at 18%)", according to a JRC analysis of 150 urban areas of the European Union. The Atlas built with the collected data was released on 01/12/2025, during the 5^th Clean Air Forum in Bonn, Germany.

These particles, which have diameters of up to 2.5 microns, "are highly hazardous to human health and were responsible for 182,000 premature deaths in 2023 in the EU-27", according to the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The atlas of the Air quality in European cities 2025 shows that :
• Residential emissions "are estimated to contribute to more than 25% of the total PM2.5 concentrations in about half of the cities and to more than 40% in one-fifth of them.
• On the other hand, industrial PM2.5 pollution declined by 10 percentage points, accounting for an average contribution of 18%.
• Agricultural emissions, despite originating from beyond…