Ranked: The World’s Best and Worst Cities for the Environment

Which Cities Have the Best and Worst Environments?

Where do the world’s cities rank when it comes to environmental quality?

This visualization ranks the world’s best- and worst-performing cities using data from the Oxford Economics Global Cities Index 2026, which evaluates 1,000 cities worldwide.

The environmental index measures factors including air quality, emissions intensity, natural-disaster risk, and temperature and rainfall anomalies. Scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating stronger environmental performance.

Honolulu Leads the Global Ranking

Honolulu tops the environmental ranking with a score of 100, the highest possible value on the index. Fortaleza, Brazil, follows at 96.9, while Bergen, Norway, ranks third at 96.4.

Rank	City	Region	Environmental Score (0-100)
1	Honolulu	North America	100.0
2	Fortaleza	South America	96.9
3	Bergen	Europe	96.4
4	Wellington	Oceania	96.3
5	Aracaju	South America	92.5
6	Suva	Oceania	92.4
7	Stockholm	Europe	91.1
8	Santa Cruz de Tenerife	Europe	91.0
9	Dublin	Europe	90.9
10	Gold Coast	Oceania	90.8
11	Teresina	South America	90.2
12	Malmö	Europe	90.1
13	Recife	South America	90.1
14	Copenhagen	Europe	89.7
15	Edinburgh	Europe	89.7
16	Rennes	Europe	89.5
17	Natal	South America	89.4
18	João Pessoa	South America	89.1
19	Glasgow	Europe	89.0
20	San Juan	North America	88.9
21	Bridgetown	North America	88.8
22	Las Palmas	Europe	88.7
23	Belém	South America	88.5
24	Maceió	South America	88.5
25	Las Vegas	North America	88.3
26	Salvador	South America	88.3
27	Seattle	North America	88.1
28	Aberdeen	Europe	88.1
29	Vancouver	North America	88.0
30	Nassau	North America	87.9

Ocean winds can help disperse air pollution in coastal cities, potentially contributing to Honolulu’s strong environmental performance. The city also benefits from relatively clean air compared with many large urban centers.

However, a top environmental score does not mean a city is free from climate-related risks. Oʻahu remains exposed to flooding, hurricanes, coastal erosion, and other hazards, and the city has adopted climate action and resilience plans aimed at reducing emissions and preparing for these threats.

Brazil Has Nine Cities in the Top 30

Fortaleza leads Brazil’s nine entries with a score of 96.9, followed by Aracaju at 92.5. Teresina, Recife, Natal, João Pessoa, Belém, Maceió, and Salvador also make the list.

Several of these cities are located along Brazil’s northeastern Atlantic coast, where persistent trade winds can help disperse air pollutants. Rainfall can also help remove particulate matter from the atmosphere.

Compared with Brazil’s more heavily industrialized South and Southeast, the Northeast has historically had a lower concentration of heavy industry, potentially limiting some sources of urban air pollution. However, the index also incorporates climate and natural-disaster measures, so no single factor explains these cities’ high scores.

Asian Cities Dominate the Bottom of the Ranking

Bokaro, India, ranks last with a score of zero. Shahjahanpur and Bhilai Nagar, also in India, follow with scores of 6.7 and 11.7, respectively.

Chinese cities account for 23 of the bottom 30 positions, including Dezhou, Huangshi, Liaocheng, Anqing, and Anyang. Five Indian cities also appear in the bottom 30, alongside Kerman in Iran and Khulna in Bangladesh.

Rank	City	Region	Environmental Score (0-100)
1	Bokaro	Asia	0.0
2	Shahjahanpur	Asia	6.7
3	Bhilai Nagar	Asia	11.7
4	Dezhou	Asia	11.8
5	Huangshi	Asia	16.5
6	Liaocheng	Asia	17.4
7	Kerman	Asia	18.6
8	Anqing	Asia	18.8
9	Anyang	Asia	18.9
10	Weifang	Asia	19.7
11	Fushun	Asia	20.8
12	Huainan	Asia	20.8
13	Anshan	Asia	21.6
14	Datong	Asia	21.9
15	Heze	Asia	22.6
16	Zibo	Asia	22.9
17	Xinxiang	Asia	23.0
18	Jiaozuo	Asia	23.3
19	Zhangjiagang	Asia	23.3
20	Ma'anshan	Asia	23.5
21	Xingtai	Asia	24.5
22	Asansol	Asia	24.5
23	Jilin	Asia	24.6
24	Zhenjiang	Asia	24.7
25	Kota	Asia	24.7
26	Hengshui	Asia	24.9
27	Khulna	Asia	24.9
28	Zaozhuang	Asia	24.9
29	Xiangtan	Asia	25.3
30	Pingdingshan	Asia	25.8

Factors such as heavy industrial activity, coal-dependent energy use, vehicle pollution, and rapid urban growth can weigh on air quality and environmental performance.

However, the index also considers climate anomalies and natural-disaster exposure, meaning low scores should not be interpreted as a measure of air pollution alone.

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