Is the air quality good in Pristina?
On December 10, 2025, at 7:26 AM PT, Pristina, Kosovo, is experiencing unhealthy air quality, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 186 classified as unhealthy.
Air quality is dynamic and, like the weather, can change frequently. Pristina ranked as the 6th most polluted major city in the world on Wednesday morning.
Click here for a real-time air quality map of Pristina.
Although the city's air quality today is unhealthy, it is helpful to recall that the average PM2.5 concentration in 2024 for Pristina was 14.2 µg/m³, equating to an AQI of 61 (“moderate”) and was 2.8 times the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Pristina, Kosovo ranked as the 6th most polluted major city on December 10, 2025. Source: IQAir.
When will air quality improve in Pristina?
Pristina's air quality may improve on Thursday, but improvement depends on several factors, including wind direction and the intensity and use of source pollutants.
Hourly air quality forecast for Pristina, Kosovo for December 10, 2025. Source: IQAir.
Poor air quality is a common concern for the Western Balkans in winter, where geography, vehicle emissions, and industrial pollution encourage a build-up of pollutants.
Air quality map of Pristina, Kosovo on December 10, 2025. Source: IQAir.
Air quality map of the Balkans on December 10, 2025. Source: IQAir.
What is causing poor air quality in Pristina?
The Western Balkans is home to numerous coal-burning power plants in countries like Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia - the primary source of poor air quality in the region. With the exception of North Macedonia, all of these countries are exceeded rules on nitrogen oxide emissions in 2024; Serbia was the only country to follow rules on particulate matter emissions.
Kosovo's coal-powered power plant emissions have been a regional concern for some years, as pollution is a transnational environmental issue.
The Western Balkans's many mountain ranges and valleys foster temperature inversions in autumn and winter, when pollutants from wood burning stoves, industrial and vehicle emissions, and other sources remain trapped at the ground level. While winds can more easily scatter pollutants across a wide area in other regions like plains, ground level air pollutants don't disperse as easily when backed up against mountain ranges.
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How can I protect myself from poor air quality?
- Get a free air quality app for real-time air quality alerts and forecasts.
- Shut doors and windows and set the HVAC to recirculate mode.
- Contribute to your community’s outdoor air quality data.
- Stay indoors when air quality is poor; if you do need to go outdoors, wear a KN95/FFP2 mask.
- Run a high-performance air purifier to filter particles, gases, and other pollutants.
