Air Quality score
Health-oriented air-quality conditions with context from WHO, EEA, and EPA benchmarks.
Air Quality in Cape Town78/100
Air Quality
Air Quality in Cape Town
Cape Town has solid baseline air quality, with episodic regional and biomass-burning events as the main exposure spikes. Air Quality in Cape Town scores 78/100, placing it in the solid group of the indexed set.
- Last updated
- 2026-05-16
- Data year
- 2025
- Module score
- 78/100
Clean-air score
78/100
Strong baseline with episodic exposure spikes.
Primary pollutant watch
PM2.5
Fine particles are weighted because of long-term health evidence.
Indoor-air practice
Established
Indoor-air strategies matter on episodic-event days.
Cape Town 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 | 78/100 | Coastal context supports the baseline. |
| Primary pollutant watch | PM2.5 | Episodic biomass-burning events contribute. |
| Indoor-air practice | Established | Coastal winds support a clean baseline. |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Cape Town (this page) | 78/100 | Cape Town has solid baseline air quality, with episodic regional and biomass-burning events as the main exposure spikes. |
| Stellenbosch | 76/100 | Stellenbosch'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. |
| Pretoria | 70/100 | Pretoria'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. |
| Durban | 66/100 | Durban'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. |
| Johannesburg | 64/100 | Johannesburg's air-quality profile is shaped by traffic, industry, and seasonal heating, with active monitoring and policy attention. |
| Reykjavik | 90/100 | Reykjavik'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. |
| Copenhagen | 88/100 | Copenhagen performs well on clean-air context, helped by compact mobility, regional monitoring, and strong European air-quality governance. |
| Zurich | 88/100 | Zurich performs strongly on clean air, supported by compact transit-led mobility and rigorous European monitoring. |
| Helsinki | 88/100 | Helsinki performs well against health-oriented air-quality benchmarks with steady European monitoring. |
| Wellington | 88/100 | Wellington performs well on air-quality benchmarks, with coastal winds supporting dispersion. |
| Oslo | 87/100 | Oslo performs well against health-oriented air-quality benchmarks, with strong European monitoring context. |
| Ponta Delgada | 86/100 | Ponta Delgada'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. |
| Espoo | 86/100 | Espoo'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. |
| Auckland | 86/100 | Auckland has strong baseline air quality, supported by coastal context and comparatively low pollutant exposure. |
| Vancouver | 86/100 | Vancouver has strong baseline air quality, helped by coastal context, with episodic wildfire smoke the main seasonal concern. |
| Stockholm | 86/100 | Stockholm performs well against health-oriented air-quality benchmarks, with European monitoring context. |
| Perth | 86/100 | Perth performs well against health-oriented air-quality benchmarks, with bushfire smoke the seasonal concern. |
| Amsterdam | 85/100 | Amsterdam performs well on clean air, supported by compact mobility patterns and European monitoring depth. |
| Guarda | 84/100 | Guarda'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. |
| Lucerne | 84/100 | Lucerne'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. |
| Tromso | 84/100 | Tromso'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. |
| Vienna | 84/100 | Vienna's clean-air profile is strong, supported by compact transit-led mobility and continuous European monitoring. |
| Seattle | 84/100 | Seattle has strong baseline air quality with episodic wildfire smoke the main seasonal concern. |
| Melbourne | 84/100 | Melbourne has strong baseline air quality with episodic bushfire smoke the main seasonal concern. |
| Brisbane | 84/100 | Brisbane has strong baseline air quality, supported by coastal context, with episodic bushfire smoke the main seasonal concern. |
| Canberra | 84/100 | Canberra'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. |
| Geneva | 84/100 | Geneva'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. |
| Basel | 84/100 | Basel'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. |
| Hobart | 84/100 | Hobart'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. |
| Aarhus | 84/100 | Aarhus'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. |
| Tampere | 84/100 | Tampere'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
Air-quality scoring weighs baseline pollutant exposure with episodic event pressure. Cape Town's baseline is solid; episodic events drive most spikes. Across the indexed cities the air quality average is 64/100, so Cape Town is 14 points above the median. Data year 2025; last updated 2026-05-16. Drawn from 1 institutional reference.
Read this module with the main open the cape town 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
One institutional reference informs this view. 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.
Continue exploring
These links connect module pages back to city, ranking, and sibling topic paths with crawlable href values.
Cape Town city profile
Return to the complete Cape Town profile with all module scores and source context.
Cost of Living in Cape Town
Affordability, essential costs, and day-to-day financial pressure for residents.
Energy in Cape Town
Clean-energy readiness, grid resilience, and solar or efficiency opportunity signals.
Safety in Cape Town
Personal safety, institutional trust, and resilience signals informed by international safety and crime data.
Internet Speed in Cape Town
Broadband and mobile connectivity quality, latency, and digital-readiness signals for residents and remote workers.
Climate Risk in Cape Town
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.