Barcelona has improved air quality for the second consecutive year and in 2024 it recorded the lowest levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to date. This is indicated by the stations of the city’s Air Pollution Surveillance and Prevention Network, which have noted a decrease in NO2 levels, a pollutant mainly associated with traffic.
The Eixample monitoring station, which usually registers higher levels due to the volume of cars, went from 35 µg/m³ of NO2 in 2023 to 33 in 2024, while the Gràcia – Sant Gervasi station closed the year with an average of 27 µg/m³, the lowest figures in the entire historical series.
Between 2023 and 2024, NO2 levels also decreased in background stations such as Ciutadella (from 27 µg/m³ to 25), Palau Reial (from 17 to 16), Poblenou (from 24 to 23) and Sants (from 20 to 19). The only station that recorded an increase was Vall d’Hebron, which went from 19 to 20 µg/m³.
In most cases, NO2 levels in 2024 are even lower than in 2020, when pandemic mobility restrictions significantly reduced pollution in Barcelona.
On the other hand, preliminary data on PM10 particles also show a downward trend. For example, the Eixample station reduced its levels from 27 to 22 µg/m³, and the Palau Reial station went from 16 to 15 µg/m³.
Barcelona City Council attributes this improvement in air quality mainly to measures such as the promotion of public transport, the electrification of fleets, the commitment to more sustainable vehicles and the implementation of the Low Emissions Zone (ZBE).
According to Laia Bonet, Deputy Mayor for Urban Planning and Ecological Transition, the council seeks to “accelerate” the evolution of the ZBE to continue reducing pollution. The lieutenant has not detailed the specific steps or the deadlines, but has stressed that this effort must be carried out in collaboration with the other affected metropolitan municipalities.
Evolution of the mobile fleet and future of the ZBE
During the presentation of the data on air quality, Bonet stressed that one of the main factors that contribute to the reduction of pollution is not necessarily a smaller number of cars, but rather that the vehicles that circulate are “cleaner”, That is, they pollute less.
According to the City Council, the implementation of the ZBE has made it possible to have a more sustainable vehicle fleet. Currently, vehicles with a B label represent less than 15% (14.48%) of the total, while ECO vehicles exceed 20% (21.43%) and those with zero label reach almost 5% (4.94% ).
Bonet has insisted on the need to “accelerate” the ZBE, working with a metropolitan vision. “The implementation in the Barcelona Rounds was pioneering, and today’s results confirm it, but we must go further in collaboration with other municipalities,” he states.
Compliance with EU limits
In 2024, Barcelona remained within the current limits established by the EU, as was the case in 2023. According to the council, the impact on health attributable to pollution was reduced by 32% between 2020 and 2023.
Despite the improvement, the City Council must continue working to comply with the new European directive, which will tighten pollution limits in 2030, setting a maximum of 20 µg/m³, half of the current level. With the 2024 levels, stations such as those in Eixample (33 µg/m³) or Gràcia – Sant Gervasi (27 µg/m³) would exceed the new threshold.
Tram connection
Among the measures that the City Council has planned to achieve climate neutrality by 2030, it is worth reaching 75% of zero-emission buses, strengthening public transport by connecting the tram along Diagonal and continuing to advance in the ZBE.
Regarding the tram, Bonet has reiterated the municipal government’s “absolute commitment” to the connection along Diagonal and has indicated that this initiative is part of the current budget negotiation. Highlighting that the executive is working to advance this project within this framework.
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