Environment statistics at regional level

Data extracted in March and April 2025.

Planned article update: September 2026.

Highlights

Between 1990 and 2023, greenhouse gas emissions in the EU fell by about a third. Much larger regional reductions were recorded in Dytiki Makedonia (Greece), Sostinės regionas (Lithuania) and Região Autónoma da Madeira (Portugal), as emissions fell by approximately three quarters.

In 2023, Jämtlands län (central Sweden; 4 100 km²) and Badajoz (south-western Spain; 4 000 km²) recorded the largest drought impacted areas.

Source: European Environment Agency (EEA) and Eurostat (sdg_15_20)

Climate change and environmental degradation are 2 of the most serious threats with far-reaching consequences for ecosystems, human health and the global economy. These threats are interrelated: climate change affects biodiversity, while healthy ecosystems provide services that are critical for climate change mitigation (carbon sinks and stocks) and adaptation (water retention, protection against floods and desertification, urban heat reduction, protection against air pollution, and so on).

The United Nations (UN’s) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a long-term strategy that aims to achieve a range of social, economic, environmental and institutional targets. The targets are divided into a set of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For the EU, specific indicators are in place that are used to measure progress towards achieving the SDGs in a national and European context. For example, SDG 15 ‘life on land’ aims to protect, restore and promote the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems. The infographic above highlights that, in 2022, terrestrial protected areas covered almost 75% of the total land area of Arnsberg, a western German region characterised by its forests, hills and reservoirs.

Climate change mitigation

SDG 13 ‘take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts’ is designed to strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters, integrating climate change measures into national policies, while improving education and raising awareness and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.

EU countries are legally committed to fighting climate change by shifting to a climate-neutral economy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality – hereafter referred to as the European Climate Law – seeks to create a cleaner and healthier EU by transforming the way enterprises and people behave, both in terms of production and consumption patterns. This legal act provides the EU’s contribution to the Paris Agreement, which set an ambitious global goal ‘to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels’. Alongside a package of policy initiatives, the European Climate Law writes into law the goal set out in the European Green Deal, namely, to become climate-neutral by 2050. It also sets an intermediate target: to reduce EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 (compared with 1990 levels). Such reductions will require profound and transformative changes, for example, to energy and transport systems, industrial processes and agriculture, as well as increased carbon removal by ecosystems. Map 1 shows the movement made towards these targets, with greenhouse gas emissions across the EU falling 33.9% between 1990 and 2023. Note: data exclude international shipping and aviation – although both form part of the overall targets – as these items are excluded from the regional datasets.

Greenhouse gas emissions fell in 83.6% of EU regions between 1990 and 2023

There were 204 NUTS level 2 regions across the EU that recorded a fall in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2023, while 40 regions experienced an increase. Every region of Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Lithuania, Hungary, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Finland and Sweden recorded a fall in greenhouse gas emissions during the period under consideration; this was the case in Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta too.

Emissions generally declined most strongly in eastern and Baltic EU countries. By contrast, within these countries the Croatian capital region and 3 Polish regions stood out for recording marked increases in emissions.
Most regions in western and Nordic EU countries experienced modest reductions in greenhouse gas emissions between 1990 and 2023. Nevertheless, some regions in Ireland, the Netherlands and Austria saw emissions rise, as was the case for the French outermost regions.
Developments in southern EU countries were more varied, with several regions recording sharp increases, while others registered sizeable reductions in emissions; this mixed pattern was observed in all of the southern EU countries with more than 1 region.

Between 1990 and 2023, 25 out of 244 regions for which data are available reported their greenhouse gas emissions decreasing by more than 55.0% – the target set for the EU by 2030. These 25 regions were geographically diverse – as shown by the darkest shade of teal in Map 1 – including:

5 predominantly urban regions in Germany
4 regions in Romania (including the capital region)
3 regions in Italy
2 regions in Denmark (including the capital region)
2 regions in Hungary
the capital regions of Bulgaria and Lithuania
single regions in Czechia, Greece, Spain, Poland and Portugal
the neighbouring Baltic countries of Estonia and Latvia.

Greenhouse gas emissions declined in most EU regions between 1990 and 2023. While the average reduction across the EU was 33.9%, some regions recorded considerably larger decreases. Among NUTS level 2 regions, the largest decline in emissions was in Dytiki Makedonia, Greece (down 76.8%), where lignite-based electricity generation was phased out. Sostinės regionas in Lithuania (down 74.6%) and Região Autónoma da Madeira in Portugal (down 73.7%) also registered significant reductions in their emissions.

Between 1990 and 2023, greenhouse gas emission increased in a majority of the NUTS level 2 regions in Ireland and Spain, as well as in Cyprus. At the upper end of the distribution, the largest increases were recorded in Ciudad de Ceuta (Spain), where emissions rose by 305.0%, and in Mayotte (France), with an increase of 238.9%. Excluding the autonomous Spanish cities and the French outermost regions:

the most substantial increases occurred in Región de Murcia (southern Spain) and in Cyprus, where emissions almost doubled over the period under review (up 91.8% and 90.4%, respectively)
the next largest increase was observed in La Rioja (Spain), where emissions rose 73.2%
2 other regions saw their emissions grow by more than 50.0% – Opolskie in Poland (up 53.4%) and the Croatian capital region of Grad Zagreb (up 52.0%).

Map 1: Change in greenhouse gas emissions
Source: EDGAR_GHG_NUTS2_v3.0. GHG emissions at subnational level, European Commission (JRC), see https://edgar.jrc.ec.europa.eu/dataset_ghg2024_nuts2

Climate change impacts

Drought impact

SDG 15 ‘life on land’ aims to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, and halt biodiversity loss.

Most regions in the EU have sufficient water resources: however, water scarcity and drought are becoming increasingly frequent and widespread phenomena. Severe and frequent droughts may, among other impacts, lead to a reduction in water resources, reduce agricultural output, accelerate the process of soil erosion and release carbon stored in soils. Droughts can also impact biodiversity, the restoration of nature through habitat loss, the migration of species and the spread of invasive alien species, as identified in the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation (EU) 2022/869 – a key element of the EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030.

Information on the severity of drought conditions – which arise when soil moisture availability to plants drops to such a level that it adversely affects crop yield (and hence, agricultural production) – can be used as a measure for drought impacts. Map 2 shows the average share of land area exposed to a severe soil moisture deficit during the period between 2013 and 2023; note, a lengthier time series is available on the EEA website covering the period from 2000 onwards.

Between 2013 and 2023, the average annual area affected by drought in terms of reduced vegetation productivity in areas with severe soil moisture deficit during the growing season was approximately 186 000 km². Above average areas of land were impacted in 4 of the last 6 years, with 2021 and 2023 being the exceptions.

In 2022, the EU experienced its hottest summer to date and its 2nd warmest year on record; nearly 650 000 km² of land were affected by drought. By contrast, pressure on European ecosystems eased in 2023, with approximately 144 000 km² affected – less than 25% of the area impacted a year before. In 2023, the largest share of land impacted by drought was cropland (46.3% of the total), followed by forest and woodland (36.1%) and grassland (7.8%). While detailed information on drought impact is not yet available for 2024, the fact that it was Europe’s warmest year on record suggests continued pressure on ecosystems.

The impact of drought was particularly prevalent across German and Belgian regions in 2023

In 2023, drought impacts were relatively evenly distributed across regions: 50.1% of all EU regions recorded a drought-affected area above the EU average of 4.6%. At the top end of the distribution, 225 NUTS level 3 regions were impacted by drought. On average, at least 8.4% of these region’s land area was affected during the period 2013 to 2023 (corresponding to the darkest shade of brown in Map 2). They were primarily concentrated in a band of regions running from central France, into the Benelux countries, Germany, Poland and the Baltic countries. Germany (115 regions), Belgium (29 regions), France (19 regions) and Poland (16 regions) together accounted for approximately 80% of all regions with a relatively high share of land impacted by drought.

Between 2013 and 2023, the highest average area impacted by drought was recorded in the southern Belgian region of Arr. Namur, where 22.3% of the land was affected. There were 2 German regions that also had shares that exceeded 20.0%: Dessau-Roßlau, Kreisfreie Stadt in the east (20.6%) and Borken in the west (20.5%). In addition, 11 other regions reported their average area impacted by drought within the range of 15.0–18.0%:

the Dutch regions of Twente and Achterhoek
the German regions of Fulda, Wesel and Coburg, Kreisfreie Stadt
the Belgian regions of Arr. Nivelles, Arr. Bastogne, Arr. Huy, Arr. Dinant and Arr. Soignies
Luxembourg.

By contrast, there were 258 NUTS level 3 regions where the average area impacted by drought between 2013 and 2023 was less than 2.3% of the total land area (they are shown with the 2 lightest shades of brown in Map 2). They were widely distributed across the EU, with the exception of northern areas. Notably, there were 2 main clusters: 1 group concentrated in southern Germany and eastern Austria, and the other concentrated in south-eastern parts of the EU. The highest counts of regions with relatively low shares of their area impacted by drought were found in:

Germany (68 regions)
Italy (24 regions)
Greece and Spain (each 23 regions)
Romania (21 regions)
Bulgaria (18 regions)
Austria (14 regions)
Poland (12 regions)
France (11 regions).

During the period 2013 to 2023 there were 24 regions which reported no drought impact. This group included several outermost regions in the Atlantic, comprising the 7 regions that form Canarias (Spain) and the Regiões Autónomas dos Açores e da Madeira (Portugal). In addition, 5 regions in western Bulgaria also recorded no drought-impact.

Map 2: Average area with reduced vegetation productivity during the growing seasons
Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, Copernicus Emergency Management Service and Eurostat (sdg_15_42)

Among the 1 112 NUTS level 3 regions for which data are available, 408 experienced some impact from drought during 2023, while 704 recorded no drought impact. Figure 1 highlights the regions with the largest areas of land affected by drought in 2023. The information is presented in absolute figures (in km²) and therefore reflects – at least to some degree – the overall size of each region, alongside the meteorological conditions experienced throughout the year. The central Swedish region of Jämtlands län had the largest drought-impacted area, at 4 100 km². The next highest value was in the south-western Spanish region of Badajoz, with 4 000 km² impacted.

All 20 EU regions with the largest drought-impacted areas in 2023 – each with at least 1 990 km² affected – were concentrated either in the north-eastern parts of the EU (the Baltic and Nordic EU countries or Poland) or in Spain. As noted above, these figures reflect absolute areas impacted, meaning that larger regions experiencing moderate drought may still rank relatively high in terms of their total affected area.

Although north-eastern parts of the EU typically experience a temperate climate with relatively high rainfall, 2023 was marked by extended periods of low precipitation and above-average temperatures. By contrast, much of Spain has a semi-arid climate with hot summers, making its regions particularly vulnerable to drought on a regular basis.

Alongside the 2 regions with the largest areas of drought-impacted land – Jämtlands län and Badajoz – the remaining 18 EU regions with at least 1 990 km² of drought-affected land were located in:

Spain (6 additional regions)
Lithuania, Poland (4 regions each)
Estonia (2 regions)
Lativa and Finland (1 region each).

The 2nd part of Figure 1 shows the NUTS level 3 regions with the biggest changes in the area of land affected by drought, comparing 2023 – the latest year for which data are available – with the average for 2013 to 2022. Across the EU, an average of 190 000 km² of land was affected by drought annually between 2013 and 2022, which was 46 500 km² more than the area impacted in 2023.

Among the 1 112 regions for which data are available, 973 recorded a smaller area of land impacted by drought in 2023 compared with the average for 2013 to 2022. In 15 regions, the affected area was unchanged, while 124 regions recorded a larger area impacted.

In 2023, the most pronounced increase in drought-impacted area – compared with the average for the period 2013 to 2022 – was recorded in the north-eastern Polish region of Olsztyński, where an additional 3 200 km² of land was impacted. The next largest increases were observed in Badajoz in Spain (an additional 3.0 thousand km²) and Kauno apskritis in Lithuania (up 2 900 km²). The next largest developments, with increases of 2 600 km² to 2 800 km², were reported in Šiaulių apskritis (Lithuania), Lõuna-Eesti (Estonia), as well as Córdoba and Barcelona (both Spain).

The largest reduction in drought-impacted areas in 2023 – compared with the average area affected during the period 2013 to 2022 – was recorded in the northern Swedish region of Västerbottens län, where the impacted area was 1 500 km² smaller than the previous decade’s average. The 2nd-largest decrease also occurred in Sweden, as Västra Götalands län recorded a fall of 1 100 km². There were notable decreases – between 800 km² and 1 100 km² – in Cyprus, several French regions (Saône-et-Loire, Aisne, Yonne, Allier and Côte-d’Or) and 2 Spanish regions (Murcia and Salamanca).

Figure 1: Area with reduced vegetation productivity during the growing season
Source: European Environment Agency (EEA), Copernicus Land Monitoring Service, Copernicus Emergency Management Service and Eurostat (sdg_15_42)

Protected land

SDG 15 ‘life on land’ seeks to conserve and sustainably use terrestrial ecosystems. The EU biodiversity strategy for 2030 – Bringing nature back into our lives (COM(2020) 380 final) sets targets to protect a minimum of 30% of the EU’s land and sea area, with specific commitments to protect nature and reverse the degradation of ecosystems.

The information presented in this section comprises Natura 2000 sites and other nationally designated protected areas. Natura 2000 – established in 1992 – is the world’s largest network of protected areas that are designated under the EU Habitats and Birds Directives with the goal to maintain or restore a favourable conservation status for habitat types and species of EU interest. In 2022, the Natura 2000 network extended over 18.6% of the EU’s land area and 9.0% of its marine territory. Alongside Natura 2000 sites, many EU regions have other nationally designated protected areas.

Map 3 shows the proportion of terrestrial protected areas relative to the total land area in each NUTS level 3 region. In 2022, the regional distribution of this indicator was relatively balanced around the EU average of 26.1%. Out of 1 160 regions for which data are available, 586 reported an above-average share, a single region had the same share, while 573 regions had lower-than-average shares.

Many of the regions with the highest shares of protected areas were broadly spread across Germany, while there were also several regions in Poland (particularly along its southern border). Other notable clusters were located in southern France, southern Bulgaria and northern Greece, as well as several coastal regions of Croatia, Alpine regions of Austria and the island regions of Corse (France) and Região Autónoma da Madeira (Portugal).

There were 116 regions across the EU which had at least 55.0% of their total area designated as protected in 2022 (as shown by the darkest shade of blue in Map 3). In 3 regions, protected areas covered almost the entire territory:

Berchtesgadener Land in south-eastern Germany (99.9%)
Lungau in central Austria (99.8%)
Ahrweiler in western Germany (94.8%).

There were 20 additional regions across the EU where, in 2022, protected areas covered more than 75.0% of the land area:

the majority of these – 15 regions – were located in Germany, most of them in North Rhine-Westphalia
the remaining 5 included 3 regions in Poland and single regions from each of Croatia and Austria.

At the lower end of the distribution, 118 regions had less than 8.0% of their total area designated as protected in 2022 (they are shown in a light yellow shade in Map 3). Many of these relatively low shares were in Finland, Sweden, eastern Ireland, north-western Spain, central Portugal, northern France extending into Belgium and the Netherlands, northern Italy and a band of regions stretching from Bavaria (Germany) into northern Austria. A few countries had just 1 region with a relatively low share of their total area designated as protected; in Czechia and Hungary, this was the capital region.

Map 3: Terrestrial protected areas
Source: European Environment Agency (EEA) and Eurostat (sdg_15_20)

The data presented in Figure 2 reflects, to some degree, the size of various administrative units; some sparsely populated regions are particularly large when measured in terms of their area. In 2022, the 2 NUTS level 3 regions with, by far, the largest terrestrial protected areas – Natura 2000 sites and nationally designated areas – were:

the Swedish region of Norrbottens län (31 700 km²)
the Finnish region of Lappi (31 300 km²).

The protected areas in both of these Nordic regions were mainly forest and semi natural areas, but they also had quite large wetlands and water bodies. The next largest protected areas – with between 5 100 km² and 12 300 km² – were recorded in:

Västerbottens län and Jämtlands län (Sweden)
Cáceres, Badajoz and Jaén (Spain)
Vidzeme (Latvia)
Tulcea (Romania)
Olsztyński and Szczecinecko-pyrzycki (Poland).

Figure 2: Terrestrial protected areas
Source: European Environment Agency (EEA) and Eurostat (sdg_15_20)

Air quality

SDG 11 ‘sustainable cities and communities’ aims to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. A key aspect of this goal is to reduce the environmental impact of urban areas, particularly by improving air quality and enhancing the management of municipal and other forms of waste.

Air quality can deteriorate considerably due to human activities such as industrial processes, the burning of solid fuels, housing, transport, agriculture and the generation or treatment of waste. In addition, natural sources of air pollution include volcanic eruptions, desert dust and forest fires.

Air pollution remains a major cause of premature death and disease across the EU, with fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) identified as having the most serious human health impacts. Some of the most common causes of both illness and premature death attributed to air pollution include heart disease, stroke, lung disease, lung cancer and asthma; these illnesses also have an associated economic cost through lost working days and healthcare expenditure.

To address this, the EU’s zero pollution action plan has set a target to reduce premature deaths caused by fine particulate matter by at least 55% by 2030 (relative to 2005 levels). More broadly, the plan aims to bring air, water and soil pollution down to levels no longer considered harmful to human health and natural ecosystems by 2050. The final section in this chapter provides statistics on the magnitude of the health impacts of air pollution resulting from exposure to fine particulate matter.

More about the data: air quality guidelines, commitments and targets

Fine particulate matter refers to particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres or less (otherwise referred to as PM_2.5). In September 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new global air quality guidelines, emphasising the need to safeguard public health: the long-term guideline level was set as an annual average of 5 µg/m³ for PM_2.5. These guidelines reflect growing scientific evidence that even low concentrations of air pollution may pose significant risks to human health.

As part of its goal to eliminate pollution by 2050, the European Commission has outlined key targets and initiatives. Among these, an intermediate goal to reduce premature deaths resulting from exposure to air pollution by at least 55% between 2005 and 2030.

In December 2024, a revised Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe (Directive (EU) 2024/2881) came into force. Under this directive, the European Commission will review the latest scientific evidence on air pollution and its health impacts by the end of 2030 and every 5 years thereafter – or more often if new findings warrant it – to ensure the standards continue to be appropriate. The directive sets a new annual limit value for the EU of 10 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, to be met by 1 January 2030.

The revised directive also aims to strengthen air quality plans and roadmaps for territorial units where pollution exceeds EU standards. It updates air quality limits for 12 pollutants, including fine particulate matter. In addition, it also provides an opportunity for individuals to seek compensation if their health is harmed due to violations of EU air quality rules.

In 2022, there were 4 486 premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter in the northern Italian region of Milano

The European Environment Agency (EEA) estimates that fine particulate matter resulted in 239 100 premature deaths across the EU in 2022, which equated to 78 premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants aged 30 years or more. Note all of the information in this section on premature deaths attributable to fine particulate matter concerns a cohort of people aged 30 years or more – sometimes referred to as the ‘affected population’ – since this is the population age range generally considered within epidemiological studies.

The regional distribution of premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter was skewed: in 724 out of 1 061 NUTS level 3 regions for which data are available in 2022 – or approximately 2 out of every 3 regions in the EU (68.2%) – the number of premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants was below the EU average.

Unsurprisingly, the highest absolute numbers of premature deaths associated with fine particulate matter occurred in some of the most populous and polluted NUTS level 3 regions, primarily in southern and eastern EU countries, particularly in predominantly urban regions. The northern Italian region of Milano (4 486) recorded the highest number of premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter in 2022. High counts were also observed in Barcelona in Spain (3 357) and the Italian capital region of Roma (2 862).

At the other end of the distribution, there were 10 NUTS level 3 regions in the EU with no premature deaths associated with fine particulate matter in 2022. All of them were located in Sweden, the majority being in the northern part of the country. Note that, as only partial data are currently available for Finland based on the NUTS 2024 classification, national data have been published for this country. Information from an earlier version of the NUTS classification suggests that several regions – particularly in northern Finland – also recorded no premature deaths associated with fine particulate matter.

In 2022, the Bulgarian capital region of Sofia (stolitsa) had the highest number of premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter per 100 000 inhabitants

While the absolute number of premature deaths attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter was generally high in some of the most populous NUTS level 3 regions of the EU, the most significant impacts of air pollution when normalised by population (among those people aged 30 years or more) were often observed in industrialised and urbanised regions across eastern EU countries. These regions are typically characterised by high concentrations of industrial activity in traditional sectors such as coal mining, steel plants, cement manufacture and chemical industries. In addition, some of them also have a relatively high share of households burning coal or wood for heating, and/or suffer from traffic congestion – other factors which may exacerbate air pollution.

In 2022, there were 253 NUTS level 3 regions in the EU where the number of premature deaths attributable to air pollution was at least 100 per 100 000 inhabitants (these regions are shown in the 2 darkest shades of blue in Map 4). Broadly speaking, the highest rates of premature deaths attributable to air pollution were observed across eastern EU countries, Greece and northern Italy. The largest clusters were in Bulgaria and Hungary, where all regions recorded rates above 100 per 100 000 inhabitants.

Sofia (stolitsa), Vidin and Plovdiv (all Bulgaria), Miasto Kraków and Katowicki (both Poland) and Brodsko-posavska županija (Croatia) were the only regions in the EU to record more than 200 premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants attributable to air pollution in 2022. There were 73 other regions with a rate of at least 150 premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants. This group included 17 regions in Italy, 14 (additional) regions in each of Bulgaria and Poland, 13 regions in Greece, 10 regions in Romania, 4 (additional) regions in Croatia, as well as a single region in Hungary.

In Italy, the highest rates were concentrated in the densely populated plains of the Po valley, where geographic conditions hinder air circulation and trap pollutants from agriculture, industry and transport. Cremona, Milano and Monza e della Brianza recorded the highest rates of premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants in 2022.

At the other end of the range, there were 33 NUTS level 3 regions where the number of premature deaths attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter was less than 15 per 100 000 inhabitants in 2022. This group – where the rate of fatalities linked to this type of air pollution was relatively low – included every region of Estonia, all but 2 regions from Sweden, as well as 3 regions from the Belgian Ardennes, 2 regions from each of Ireland and France, and a single region from Austria; Finland (national data only) had similarly low rates too.

Map 4: Premature deaths – exposure to fine particulate matter
Source: European Environment Agency (EEA)

The left-hand side of Figure 3 highlights the NUTS level 3 regions in the EU with the highest and lowest rates of premature deaths resulting from exposure to fine particulate matter in 2022. The right-hand side shows the regions with the highest and lowest indices relative to 2005 (2005 = 100); in other words, it shows the change between 2005 and 2022. Only 3 regions across the EU had indices above 100, indicating an increase in their rate of premature deaths per 100 000 inhabitants between 2005 and 2022. The highest increase was recorded in the Spanish island region of Menorca (up 4.4% between 2005 and 2022), while the other 2 regions were both located in Poland – Bydgosko-toruński (up 3.8%) and Miasto Poznań (up 1.7%).

Note that these indices only indicate the change in the rate of premature deaths attributed to fine particulate matter between 2005 and 2022; they do not reveal whether the initial or final rates were comparatively high or low, but rather show the direction and magnitude of change from the initial starting point. For example, the number of premature deaths due to exposure to fine particulate matter in Menorca was lower than the EU average in 2022, despite the 4.4% increase between 2005 and 2022.

Figure 3: Premature deaths – exposure to fine particulate matter
Source: European Environment Agency (EEA)

Source data for figures and maps

Regional environmental statistics

Data sources

The European Commission has set up a sustainable development monitoring system – the EU SDG indicator set. It contains a set of more than 100 indicators that are reviewed on an annual basis. They are used to monitor progress towards the SDGs in an EU context and also form the basis for an annual publication Sustainable development in the European Union – Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context.

Joint Research Centre

Greenhouse gas emissions

The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) is a global database of anthropogenic (man-made) emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollution. The EDGAR databased is developed, maintained, and managed by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission.

Emissions are calculated for the following greenhouse gases: carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), nitrous oxide (N₂O), hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃) and sulfuryl fluoride (SO₂F₂).

It is important to note that EDGAR data are based on a globally consistent methodology, combining various data sources to estimate all greenhouse gas emissions. By contrast, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) data are based on inventories that focus on emissions occurring within national borders, following specific reporting guidelines. As a result, the coverage and figures reported by each source may differ. Notably, UNFCCC greenhouse gas inventories exclude emissions from international shipping and international aviation from national totals (while domestic aviation, shipping and inland waterways are included).

More information on the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research can be found on the JRC’s website.

You can download data from the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research from the JRC’s website.

European Environment Agency (EEA)

The EEA provides data on a broad range of environmental topics. This chapter uses EEA data for the following indicators:

drought impact
terrestrial protected areas
air pollution.

Drought impact

Drought impact on vegetation productivity is an indicator computing annual areas of lower than average vegetation conditions as a response to drought pressures. The indicator is obtained from remote-sensing derived time series of vegetation indices in areas that are pressured by drought. Drought pressure is computed using time series for an indicator of soil moisture anomaly (SMA) from the European Drought Observatory of the Joint Research Centre (JRC). Drought pressure exists when the SMA is lower than the long-term average SMA (below -1 standard deviations). Vegetation productivity is derived from a plant phenology index as the annual integral area, produced by the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service. Vegetation anomalies are expressed in standardised deviations compared with the long-term average vegetation productivity conditions for each 500m grid cell. Negative vegetation productivity anomalies in grid cells with low soil moisture anomalies indicate conditions that are inferior to long-term normal conditions. The extent of the impacted area is calculated from the sum of those grid cells where the SMA is lower than -1 and the vegetation productivity anomaly is below -0.5 standard deviations in a particular year.

More information on the European Drought Observatory can be found on the JRC’s website.

More information on drought impacts on ecosystems in Europe can be found on the EEA website.

Terrestrial protected areas

A protected area is a clearly defined geographical space, recognised, dedicated and managed through legal or other effective means to achieve the long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values.

The Natura 2000 network of sites is based on the 1979 Birds Directive and the 1992 Habitats Directive. The European database of Natura 2000 sites consists of a compilation of the data submitted by the EU countries; it is generally updated once a year.

Other national designations are nationally designated areas, created in each country under their specific national legislative instruments. These protected areas include a variety of designation types with different protection regimes and regulations. The EEA collects information on nationally designated areas from 38 countries. This information is updated annually and provides an overview of the number of nationally designated areas in each country, their size and designation type.

The same geographical area may be designated several times under different legislation. When producing area statistics on protected areas, nationally designated protected areas and Natura 2000 datasets are overlayed to avoid double counting.

More information on Natura 2000 – the largest network of protected areas in the world – can be found on the website of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Environment.

More information on terrestrial protected areas can be found on the EEA website.

More information on the reporting guidelines and methodology can be found on the Eionet portal for nationally designated areas and for Natura 2000 sites.

Air pollution

Air quality is assessed by the concentration of various pollutants in ambient air. The EEA is the source for statistics presented on air pollution from particulate matter (PM). Based on the size of the particles, various categories of particulate matter can be defined: the statistics presented here concern fine particulate matter – PM_2.5, in other words, particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometres (μm) or less.

Premature deaths are deaths that occur before a person reaches an expected age. This expected age is typically the life expectancy of a country, stratified by sex and age. In this context, premature deaths are considered preventable if their cause can be eliminated.

The indicator presented on premature deaths attributed to exposure to fine particulate matter is expressed in absolute numbers and more generally per 100 000 inhabitants aged 30 years or more. The latter is used to monitor SDG 11. Under the zero pollution action plan, the European Commission set a goal to reduce the number of premature deaths caused by PM_2.5 by at least 55% by 2030 (compared with 2005). The revised Directive on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe, coupled with stricter requirements to tackle air pollution at source (such as from agriculture, industry, transport, buildings and energy) should assist in reaching this target.

More information on the burden of disease from air pollution can be found as part of the geospatial data catalogue on the EEA website.

Context

Broad environmental policies and actions

The EU is fully committed to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and has embarked on a transition towards a low-carbon, climate-neutral, resource-efficient and circular economy. The European Commission adopted the 1st EU Voluntary Review on progress in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (COM(2023) 700 final) in May 2023.

In May 2022, Decision (EU) 2022/591 on a General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030, otherwise referred to as the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP) entered into force; it provides a legally agreed common agenda to guide the EU’s environmental policy. The 8th EAP calls for active engagement of stakeholders at all levels of governance to ensure that EU climate and environment laws are effectively implemented. It forms the basis for the EU to contribute to the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its SDGs. It has 6 priority objectives:

achieving a 55% greenhouse gas emission reduction target for 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050
enhancing adaptive capacity strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change
advancing towards a regenerative growth model, decoupling economic growth from resource use and environmental degradation, and accelerating the transition to a circular economy
pursuing a zero-pollution ambition for air, water and soil and protecting the health and well-being of Europeans
protecting, preserving and restoring biodiversity
reducing environmental and climate pressures related to production and consumption (particularly in the areas of energy, industry, buildings and infrastructure, mobility, tourism, international trade and the food system).

The European Commission will monitor progress towards these objectives with the 8th EAP monitoring framework adopted in July 2022. A mid-term review of the 8th EAP was carried out in March 2024.

Climate change

The EU has been actively collaborating with global partners to promote and reinforce international efforts on climate change. It has played a pivotal role in negotiating and upholding environmental agreements such as the UN framework convention on climate change, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement. Furthermore, the EU works with countries on a bilateral basis, incorporating climate considerations into trade negotiations and sharing expertise to encourage actions against climate change. Financial support is also provided to assist developing nations in their climate mitigation and adaptation endeavours.

European Climate Law establishes binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aiming for net zero by 2050. The law sets an interim goal of reducing net emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. It mandates that all EU policies align with these objectives, ensuring every sector contributes to the effort, a principle known as ‘climate mainstreaming’. Progress towards the targets is assessed every 5 years and aligned with the global review process of the Paris Agreement. In 2024, the European Commission assessed progress towards the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality and adaptation objectives in a Climate Action Progress Report.

Achieving climate neutrality by 2050 will be more challenging for some EU regions than for others. Regions may be more reliant on fossil fuels or have their local economies based on carbon-intensive industries. The EU introduced a Just Transition Mechanism to provide targeted support, during the period 2021 to 2027, to alleviate the socioeconomic impact of the transition and higher levels of investment to achieve the climate goals.

Drought

Droughts significantly undermine nature’s ability to provide essential environmental, social and economic benefits. They jeopardise the EU’s climate mitigation and adaptation goals and hinder the implementation of biodiversity and soil strategies.

The EU, particularly in Mediterranean regions, faces growing risks of water scarcity and drought. Drought management plans aim to ensure sufficient water for essential human needs, safeguard public health, protect the ecological status of water bodies and minimise negative impacts on economic activities.

Forging a climate-resilient Europe – the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change (COM(2021) 82 final) was adopted in February 2021; it outlines how the EU can build resilience to unavoidable climate impacts. It calls for integrating drought risk management into broader adaptation efforts through drought management plans, enhanced water retention and safe water reuse. A 2023 European Commission Report on the implementation of the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change (SWD(2023) 338 final) assessed national drought policies and planning across EU countries. It highlighted the increasing severity of droughts and the urgent need for harmonised strategies and better preparedness to limit their impact on society, the economy and ecosystems.

In her 2024 to 2029 political guidelines, the European Commission President announced a European Water Resilience Strategy, aimed at improving water management, addressing scarcity, and boosting the competitiveness and innovation of the EU water industry through a circular economy approach. The strategy – adopted in June 2025 – aims to enhance water security across Europe by providing a comprehensive plan to restore the natural water cycle, ensure access to clean and affordable water, and foster a water-smart economy. The strategy outlines over 30 targeted actions to support EU countries in managing water resources more efficiently.

Terrestrial protected areas

The EU’s biodiversity strategy for 2030, adopted in May 2020, aims to expand protected areas to cover at least 30% of the EU’s land and sea areas. In addition to proposing legally binding restoration targets (see below), the strategy promotes ecological connectivity through the development of corridors between protected areas, alongside support for cities to develop urban greening plans. These measures aim to improve the health, management and restoration of both existing and newly designated protected areas.

In August 2024, landmark legislation came into force with binding targets for ecosystem restoration in the EU. The Nature Restoration Law (Regulation (EU) 2024/1991) – a key component of the EU’s biodiversity strategy – aims to reverse the decline of natural habitats. All EU countries must restore at least 30% of habitats in poor condition by 2030, increasing to 60% by 2040 and 90% by 2050. The law covers a wide range of ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, wetlands, rivers and urban areas. By 2026, each country must submit a national restoration plan, detailing how these targets will be met.

Air pollution

The long-term objective of EU policymaking on air is to achieve levels of air quality that do not result in unacceptable impacts on, and risks to, human health and the environment. In 2021, the European Commission adopted an action plan Towards zero pollution for air, water and soil (COM(2021) 400 final). More specifically, EU policies aim to reduce the number of premature deaths and sicknesses caused by air pollution and to reduce pollution pressure on ecosystems and biodiversity. The zero pollution action plan aims to reduce, by 2030, the number of premature deaths attributed to particulate matter by 55% (as compared with 2005).

In the Ambient Air Quality Directives, the EU set exposure reduction targets and limit values for various air pollutants. For PM_2.5, Directive 2008/50/EC on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe set an average of 25 µg/m³ as the annual limit value and an annual average of 20 µg/m³ as an indicative limit value.

In 2021, the WHO published new air quality guidelines, whereby annual average concentrations of PM_2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m³ in order to protect human health. The EU has revised its air quality standards to align them more closely with the recommendations of the WHO. In November 2024, a revised Directive (EU) 2024/2881 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe included a new target whereby annual average concentrations for PM_2.5 should not exceed 10 µg/m³ by the start of 2030.

This article forms part of Eurostat’s annual flagship publication, the Eurostat regional yearbook.

You can explore the maps interactively using Eurostat’s Statistical Atlas.

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Eurostat regional yearbook – 2025 edition
Sustainable development in the European Union: monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2025 edition
Sustainable development in the European Union – Overview of progress towards the SDGs in an EU context – 2025 edition

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Air pollutants by source sector (ESMS metadata file – env_air_emis_esms)
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Legislation

Directive (EU) 2016/2284 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 December 2016 on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants, amending Directive 2003/35/EC and repealing Directive 2001/81/EC
Directive (EU) 2024/2881 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2024 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe
Regulation (EU) 2021/1119 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 June 2021 establishing the framework for achieving climate neutrality (‘European Climate Law’)
Regulation (EU) 2024/1991 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2024 on nature restoration
Summaries of EU legislation: cleaner air for Europe

External links

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