Overview

• Two-thirds of Spain’s population (30.9 million) breathed pollutant levels in 2024 exceeding new 2030 EU limits and all residents fell short of stricter WHO guidelines.
• Under current EU rules, 17.2% of Spaniards (8.4 million) inhaled air above legal pollution limits, mainly in inner Catalonia, the Canary Islands and the Madrid region.
• Ecologistas en Acción attributes reductions in particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide and ozone to 57% renewable electricity generation and decreased gas consumption.
• Urban traffic and industrial activities continue to drive pollution in major cities and port areas across Spain.
• Most Spanish cities have yet to establish mandatory low-emission zones despite deadlines passing and climate change fueled heatwave ozone surges worsened air quality episodes.