It is quite natural that we all want to live in a healthy and clean environment, but unfortunately, our planet has been slowly turning into a giant garbage dump. While the overall score is undoubtedly sad, the good news is that there are still some places in the world that are clean, neat, and unpolluted. However, it usually takes more than just some governmental regulations and public notices to keep a city clean and tidy. It is also the duty of the locals to take part in the process and be as eco-friendly as possible. To show you some cities which have already succeeded in making their environment cleaner and their residents happier and healthier, we did a bit of a research on this topic and compiled a list with some of the cleanest cities in the world. From spotlessly clean and green Northern European cities such as Stockholm and Reykjavik to surprisingly clean cities in Africa and Asia, here are 25 Cleanest Cities In The World.

25:Zurich, Switzerland

Let us kick off the list with a city that is largely considered one of the cleanest and greenest cities in the world. Home to about 400,000 people, Zurich is known for its continued optimization and creation of eco-friendly public transportation, enlargement of the bicycle-only network, research and projects for renewable energy, and enclosure of speed-ways, etc.

24:Wellington, New Zealand

The capital and one of the largest cities of New Zealand, Wellington has a reputation of being a clean and tidy city with a number of natural attractions that are well preserved and taken care of. More than a third of local people use public transport instead of cars, which greatly reduces air pollution in the area.

23:Ifrane, Morocco


Out of just a few African cities that can boast clean environment, Ifrane is probably the most famous one. Perched high in the Middle Atlas Mountains at an elevation of 1,665 m (5,463 ft), Ifrane has no industrial action, which is why local residents and tourists can enjoy unpolluted air and water. The city is also a popular ski resort as it gets covered with snow in winter.

22:Oslo, Norway

The capital of Norway is known as one of the most expensive cities in the world, but those who can afford to live here will enjoy fresh air and a perfectly clean environment. Oslo is easy to move around by public transportation or rentable bikes. In 2007, Reader’s Digest even ranked Oslo as number two on a list of the world’s greenest and most livable cities.

21:El Hierro, Spain

Technically, El Hierro is not a city as it is one of the Canary Islands (that belong to Spain), but it attracted the whole world’s attention earlier this year as it managed to produce enough electricity for its 7,000 inhabitants for more than 24 hours by its hydro-wind plants only. Known for its lush ancient forests and volcanic cliffs, the island is a UNESCO biosphere reserve.

20:Freiburg, Germany

Home to some 220,000 people, Freiburg is known as Germany’s sunniest and warmest city; however, it is also appreciated for its beautiful parks, clean streets, fresh air, and eco-friendly environment. Situated in the heart of the major Baden wine-growing region, it serves as the primary tourist entry point to the scenic beauty of the Black Forest, a large mountain range.

19:Toronto, Canada

Toronto is a living proof that even a large metropolis with more than 2.6 million inhabitants can be clean and tidy. Renowned for its environmental innovations, Toronto has been particularly successful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The city also has a very efficient and complex public transport system that contributes to the clean environment.

18:Amsterdam, Netherlands

With over 600,000 rentable bikes all over the city, Amsterdam is referred to as a cyclist’s heaven, and it is this unusual practice what helps to keep the city remarkably clean. In 2012, Amsterdam was even ranked the second best city to live in by the Economist Intelligence Unit and 12th on quality of living for environment and infrastructure by Mercer.

17:Brisbane, Australia

Most Australian cities have a clean environment with relatively low levels of all types of pollution. What makes Brisbane stand out, though, is the fact that it is clean and tidy despite its enormous size (it has a population of more than 2.3 million). The city has a number of great parks, botanic gardens, and other green recreation areas.

16:Portland, Oregon, USA

Nicknamed the “City of Roses,” Portland is frequently recognized as one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the world because of its high walkability, large community of bicyclists, farm-to-table dining, expansive network of public transportation options, and over 10,000 acres (4,000 hectares) of public parks.

15:Stockholm, Sweden

Considered one of the cleanest capitals in the world, Stockholm was granted the 2010 European Green Capital Award by the EU Commission, becoming Europe’s first “green capital.” Applicant cities were evaluated in several ways including climate change, local transport, public green areas, air quality, noise, waste, sustainable utilization of land, biodiversity, etc.

14:Nottingham, UK

The United Kingdom also has several cities that boast unpolluted environments and tidy streets. One of them is Nottingham, a city located in Central England. Nottingham has launched numerous projects to combat litter and graffiti problems, and it even won the “Britain’s Cleanest City” award in 2014.

13:Kobe, Japan

Known as the cleanest city in Japan, Kobe has implemented one of the most efficient waste disposal systems in the world. As local people are very environmentally-conscious, the streets are always clean. Although the city is a huge metropolis brimming with more than 1.5 million inhabitants, there are many nice green areas to relax.

12:Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Nicknamed the “Green Heart of Europe,” Luxembourg City is the capital of Luxembourg (officially known as the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg). Renowned for a number of well-preserved ancient castles and green forests, the city was even declared the third cleanest city in the world last year.

11:Calgary, Canada

Calgary has been regularly ranked among the world’s cleanest cities in the past few years, and there is a good reason for that. Local people are taught 5 basic principles to follow in order to keep the environment clean and healthy. Those 5 points are Sewage System Quality, Water Drinkability and Availability, Waste Removal and Recycling, Traffic Congestion, and Air Pollution.

继续： 世界上25个最干净的城市，卡城第11，多伦多第19（二）