Air quality in Madrid

Air quality index (AQI) and PM2.5 air pollution in Madrid

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AIR QUALITY DATA CONTRIBUTORS

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Pollen

What is the pollen count in Madrid today?

IndexLow
Tree pollenNone
Grass pollenNone
Weed pollenLow
Source: tomorrow.io
See pollen forecast

Weather

What is the current weather in Madrid?

Weather icon
WeatherBroken clouds
Temperature59°F
Humidity94%
Wind8.1 mph
Pressure29.9 inHg
Air pollution has cost an estimated3,700 deaths*in Madrid in 2024Find out more*Air pollution also cost approximately $3,500,000,000 USD in Madrid in 2024.

live aqi city ranking

Real-time Spain city ranking

#cityUS AQI
1The national flag of International Tarragona, Catalonia

50

2The national flag of International Barcelona, Catalonia

47

3The national flag of International Madrid, Madrid

44

4The national flag of International Vitoria-Gasteiz, Basque Country

44

5The national flag of International Zaragoza, Aragon

44

6The national flag of International Candelaria, Canary Islands

39

7The national flag of International A Coruna, Galicia

38

8The national flag of International Lleida, Catalonia

33

9The national flag of International Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canary Islands

33

10The national flag of International San Sebastian, Basque Country

27

(Local time)

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live Madrid aqi ranking

Real-time Madrid air quality ranking

#stationUS AQI
1 Escuelas Aguirre

63

2 Moratalaz

56

3 Tres Olivos

56

4 Castellana

50

5 Farolillo

50

6 Pza. Eliptica","DIREC_ES

44

7 Urb. Embajada (Barajas)

44

8 Sanchinarro

39

9 Plaza de Castilla

37

10 Mendez Alvaro

34

(Local time)

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US AQI

47

live AQI index
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Overview

What is the current air quality in Madrid?

Air pollution levelAir quality indexMain pollutant
Good 47 US AQItrendPM2.5
PollutantsConcentration
PM2.5
8.5µg/m³trend
PM10
16.3µg/m³
O3
37.2µg/m³
NO2
22µg/m³
SO2
2µg/m³
!

PM2.5

x1.7

PM2.5 concentration in Madrid is currently 1.7 times the WHO annual air quality guideline value

Health Recommendations

What is the current air quality in Madrid?

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Forecast

Madrid air quality index (AQI) forecast

DayPollution levelWeatherTemperatureWind
Wednesday, Oct 9

Good 28 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon
64.4° 57.2°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 214 degree 26.8 mph
Thursday, Oct 10

Good 26 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon
64.4° 51.8°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 288 degree 13.4 mph
Friday, Oct 11

Good 27 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon
66.2° 51.8°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 203 degree 8.9 mph
Today

Good 47 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon 100%
60.8° 59°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 148 degree 11.2 mph
Sunday, Oct 13

Good 24 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon
75.2° 57.2°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 30 degree 6.7 mph
Monday, Oct 14

Good 49 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon
80.6° 62.6°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 121 degree 11.2 mph
Tuesday, Oct 15

Moderate 56 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon 100%
71.6° 59°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 174 degree 17.9 mph
Wednesday, Oct 16

Good 19 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon 100%
62.6° 59°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 187 degree 22.4 mph
Thursday, Oct 17

Good 8 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon 100%
59° 53.6°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 238 degree 17.9 mph
Friday, Oct 18

Good 6 AQI US

Human face indicating AQI level
Weather icon
60.8° 50°
IQAir AirVisual Air Quality Map Wind rotating 286 degree 13.4 mph

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AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS AND STATISTICS FOR Madrid

Is Madrid polluted?

About 3.2 million people call Madrid home—making the Spanish capital the country’s largest city in terms of population and urban area. In Madrid, the main air pollutants of concern are fine particulate matter, which describes airborne particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter (PM2.5), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2). Clogged streets and idling cars are the primary drivers of poor air quality in Madrid, road traffic alone can cause up to 90% of NO2 concentrations in the city centre.1 Madrid also struggles with PM2.5 concentrations that have exceeded World Health Organisation (WHO) targets. While the WHO recommends an average annual PM2.5 target of 10 µg/m3 or less, the average air quality in Madrid exceeded this target during three months in 2019. Traffic is also the primary source of PM2.5 pollution, specifically from diesel vehicles.2 Madrid City Council estimates, on a typical weekday, 2.5 million cars and 0.9 million buses, taxis and delivery vehicles make a trip throughout the city.3

What are the health impacts of Madrid air pollution?

Even at low levels, Madrid air pollution causes significant health effects. Poor air quality can aggravate or cause respiratory problems such as asthma, increase risk of cardiovascular disease and lead to premature deaths. During 2020, excess PM2.5 and NO2 concentrations caused an estimated 5,600 deaths in Madrid and burdened the city with about US $5.3 billion in healthcare costs.4 Throughout Spain, air pollution-related costs add up to 3.5% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).5

How bad is air pollution in Madrid?

Madrid’s air quality is among the worst in Spain for NO2 pollution; the European Environment Agency’s latest report shows that in 2017 NO2 concentrations in Madrid soared above annual (40 µg/m3) limits set by the EU.6 More broadly, Spain as a country has been singled out by the European Commission for repeated non-compliance with regulations.7 Limit values on ambient air quality are set by EU legislation for particulate matter (PM), sulphur dioxide (SO2) and NO2.8 When these limits are exceeded, as in the case of Spain’s NO2 levels, Member States must implement air quality plans which set measures to reduce the levels as quickly as possible.

However, in terms of annual mean concentrations of PM2.5, Madrid’s air pollution has stayed close to the WHO target of 10 µg/m3 for the previous three years. In 2019, Madrid recorded average PM2.5 levels of 9.2 µg/m3, making Madrid’s air quality the 42nd most polluted in Spain. In 2018, Madrid averaged 10 µg/m3, while in 2017 the average was 9.2 µg/m3. The reports came out worse for Valencia air quality and Toledo air pollution during 2019—though smaller cities than the Spanish capital, Valencia averaged annual concentrations of 13.3 µg/m3 and Toledo 12.1 µg/m3.

The Madrid air quality index records lower pollutant concentrations than many other global capitals. According to IQAir’s 2019 World Air Quality Report, Madrid ranked as the 75th most polluted regional capital city, out of 85 measured global capitals. Compared to other European capitals, Madrid also performed better. Annual PM2.5 levels in Athens averaged 22.3 µg/m3 in 2019 while Rome air quality averaged 12.9 µg/m3.

Despite maintaining average annual PM2.5 levels just below the WHO’s recommended target, NO2 concentrations remain a serious problem for Madrid. As the transport hub of Spain and centre of economic activity, the city has recorded the highest level of NO2 throughout the country.9

What is Madrid doing about pollution?

As the first Spanish city to restrict traffic due to air pollution, Madrid has taken notable steps to reduce the impact of pollution on inhabitants’ health.10 Following the traffic-control measures, Madrid City Council launched a programme called Air Quality and Climate Change (Plan A) in 2017. Plan A outlines four areas of action for improved urban air quality:11

  • Sustainable mobility: Reduce the intensity of private vehicle traffic. After 2025, no Class A vehicles (petrol cars produced before 2000 and disesel cars produced before 2006) will be able to circulate in Madrid;
  • Urban regeneration: Energy efficiency actions including the promotion of renewable energy and measures to reduce emissions from residential, commercial and industrial sectors;
  • Climate change adaptation: Nature-based solutions to combat climate change impacts in the urban environment;
  • Awareness-raising and communication: Raising citizen awareness about the impacts of air pollution on health and climate change.

Plan A also outlines targets for 2020 and 2030. Target one aims to achieve the recommended concentrations set by the WHO for PM2.5 and NO2 by 2020. In 2019, only two monitoring stations recorded average annual NO2 concentrations above the WHO target of 40 µg/m3, the best result for several years, but the city failed to meet the average annual PM2.5 target.5 Target two aims to implement a low-emission urban model by 2030, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to 1990 levels. Beyond traffic congestion measures, Plan A also addresses the continued use of coal boilers, a potent source of nitrous oxides. All coal boilers will be prohibited and diesel boiler numbers halved by 2022.12

Madrid already has an alert system in place for when NO2 concentrations reach extreme levels. If concentrations in any metropolitan zone exceed 400 µg/m3 for three consecutive hours, only “Zero Emission” or “ECO” vehicles are allowed to circulate.13

Has air pollution improved in Madrid?

A study of air pollutants in Madrid from 2000-2009 records average PM2.5 concentrations of 17.1 µg/m3 and NO2 concentrations of 59.4 µg/m3 during the period.14 Gradually, Madrid’s air pollution has improved from these historic levels. Average annual NO2 levels decreased by 37% over the period 1996-2011 and average annual PM2.5 levels have been recorded below 10 µg/m3 from 2016-2019.15

An important barrier remains in the implementation of the vehicle restriction measures throughout the city. In 2018 the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, briefly suspended fines for vehicles who violated the restrictions on driving in central Madrid.16 Though the fines were later reinstated, political pressures may cause municipal leaders to reduce enforcement of the tough new transportation restrictions under Plan A.

What is the EU doing about air pollution?

Since 2005, the EU has set standards that are designed to reduce the impacts of air pollution throughout Member Countries. These unified standards provide the framework for Spain’s air quality management alongside its neighbours. The European standards for some air pollutants are notably less stringent than some other authorities and governments: for example, while the EU’s annual average target for PM2.5 concentrations is 25 µg/m3, the WHO sets a lower standard at 10 µg/m3, and the United States of America sets a standard at 12 µg/m3.

However, the EU is driving for improvements. The Clean Air for Europe programme launched by the European Commission in 2013 aims to move air pollution levels closer to WHO guidelines by 2030.17 By 2030, the EU also intends to reduce the number of premature deaths across Member Countries by half compared to 2005.


+ Article resources

[1] Borge R, Lumbreras J, Pérez J, De la Paz D, Vedrenne M, Manuel de Andrés J, Encarnación Rodríguez M. “Emission inventories and modeling requirements for the development of air quality plans”. Application to Madrid (Spain). Science of The Total Environment. 2014;466–467: 809-819.
[2] Ortiz C, Linares C, Carmona R, Díaz J. “Evaluation of short-term mortality attributable to particulate matter pollution in Spain”. Environmental Pollution. 2017;224: 541-551.
[3] Izquierdo R, García Dos Santos S, Borge R, De la Paz D, Sarigiannis D, Gotti A, Boldo E. “Health impact assessment by the implementation of Madrid City air-quality plan in 2020”. Environmental Research. 2020;183.
[4] Greenpeace. Tracking the cost of air pollution. Greenpeace website, n.d.
[5] Ecologistas en Acción. “La calidad del aire en el Estado español durante 2019”. Ecologistas en Acción website, June 23, 2020.
[6] European Environment Agency. “Air quality in Europe—2019 report”. EEA Report No 10/2019, EEA website, 2019.
[7] European Commission. “Air quality: Commission refers Bulgaria and Spain to the Court for failing to protect citizens from poor air quality”. European Commission website, July 25, 2019.
[8] European Commission. “Directive 2008/50/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2008 on ambient air quality and cleaner air for Europe”. European Commission website, 2008.
[9] European Environment Agency. “Air quality in Europe—2019 report”. EEA Report No 10/2019, EEA website, 2019.
[10] Sánchez E. “New Figures Deal Fresh Blow to Spain's Fight against Air Pollution”. El País, October 5, 2018.
[11] Ayuntamiento de Madrid. “Plan A: Air quality and climate change plan for the city of Madrid”. Ayuntamiento de Madrid website, September 30, 2019.
[12] Ayuntamiento de Madrid. “Madrid 360, la estrategia para cumplir con los objectivos de calidad del aire de al Unión Europea”. Ayuntamiento de Madrid website, September 30, 2019.
[13] Ayuntamiento de Madrid. “Protocolo de actuación para episodios de contaminación pro dióxido de nitrógeno”. Ayuntamiento de Madrid website, n.d.
[14] Ortiz C, Linares C, Carmona R, Díaz J. “Evaluation of short-term mortality attributable to particulate matter pollution in Spain”. Environmental Pollution. 2017;224: 541-551.
[15] Cuevas C, Notario A, Antonio Adame J, et al. “Evolution of NO2 levels in Spain from 1996 to 2012”. Scientific Reports. 2014;4(5887).
[16] Ansede M. “Pollution has killed 93,000 people in Spain in the last decade”. El País, June 25, 2018.
[17] European Commission. “Cleaner air for all”. European Commission website, n.d.

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