What are the cities with the most polluted air in Catalonia?
A report by Ecologists in Action calculates that more than half of the Catalan population breathes polluted air
The areas of Barcelona, Vallès-Baix Llobregat, and the plain of Vic registered the highest concentration of suspended particles (PM10 and PM2.5, which are related to road traffic) in Catalonia last year. According to the report The quality of air in the Spanish state during 2025, prepared by Ecologists in Action, these areas exceeded the new legal limits approved by the European Union for 2030 (20 µg/m³ for PM10 and 10 µg/m³ for PM2.5).
Taking these European parameters into account, the analysis highlights that 58.6% of Catalan citizens (4.8 million people) breathed polluted air last year. It should be clear that, with the current measures (40 µg/m³ for PM10 and 20 µg/m³ for PM2.5), the figure would drop to 2.3% (186,684 people).
The city leading the ranking
The observation highlights that, in accordance with current regulations, which set a maximum of 35 days per year above 50 µg/m³ for PM10 particles, Vic recorded the highest number, with nine days. Following this, the Barcelona area and Central Catalonia, with seven; Terres de Ponent, with five; and Vallès-Baix Llobregat, with three.
Regarding ozone, a gas present in the atmosphere highly detrimental to human health and ecosystems, Pre-Pyrenees and the Vic plain exceeded the maximum annual limit (25 days) with the presence of this pollutant. They were above 120 µg/m³ for 36 and 35 days, respectively. These are the areas with the highest values in the country. These figures were double those of, for example, Central Catalonia, Terres de Ponent, and the Girona regions, among others.
The document emphasizes at this point that the Alcover station (Alt Camp) exceeded the alert threshold, with the fourth highest hourly ozone concentration in Spain during 2025, at 241 µg/m³.
Ports, cause for alert
The analysis also indicates that the ports of Tarragona and Barcelona exceeded the daily legal limit for PM10, which current legislation sets at 35 days, with 75 and 70, respectively. A situation that the organization's report links to loading and unloading operations, as well as cruise ship activity. For this reason, Ecologists in Action demands that the number of cruise ships arriving in the Catalan capital be reduced and that these infrastructures, as well as airports, not be expanded.
The observation concludes that Catalonia presents two zones with "high pollution". On the one hand, Barcelona and its metropolitan area, delimited in Vallès-Baix Llobregat, due to the "high intensity" of vehicles, El Prat airport, the maritime transport of the port of Barcelona, and industrial activity. And, on the other hand, Camp de Tarragona, conditioned by the presence of the petrochemical complex and the port.