Cleanest Countries in the World to Live In (2024)

Choosing where to live isn’t just about job markets or cost of living—it’s also about the cleanliness and environmental health of a country. In 2024, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) by Yale University ranked 180 countries based on criteria like air and water quality, waste management, and sustainability. This updated guide lists the cleanest countries to live in, ranked by EPI score.

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What Does “Cleanest Country” Mean?

The EPI evaluates environmental health and ecosystem vitality through:

• Air & Water Quality
• Sanitation Access
• Sustainable Agriculture
• Carbon Emissions & Climate Action
• Waste & Pollution Control

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Top 10 Cleanest Countries in the World (2024)

Rank	Country	EPI Score
1	Estonia	75.7
2	Luxembourg	75.1
3	Germany	74.5
4	Finland	73.8
5	United Kingdom	72.6
6	Sweden	70.3
7	Norway	69.9
8	Austria	68.9
9	Switzerland	67.8
10	Denmark	67.7

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What Makes These Countries Stand Out?

• Estonia leads with smart forest management, renewable energy use, and low pollution.
• Luxembourg and Germany score high on air and water quality and environmental governance.
• Nordic nations like Finland, Sweden, and Norway excel in clean energy and sustainability.
• Central European countries such as Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands invest heavily in waste management and urban planning.

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Notable Mentions: Countries With Room for Improvement

At the other end of the spectrum:

• India (Rank 176, Score 27.6), Pakistan (179, 25.5), and Vietnam (180, 24.6) face challenges with pollution, sanitation access, and environmental policy enforcement.
• Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Laos also scored in the bottom 10.

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Why This Ranking Matters

Living in a clean country doesn’t just feel good—it’s linked to:

• Fewer respiratory and waterborne diseases
• Longer life expectancy
• Improved mental health and happiness
• Higher global competitiveness

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Cleanest Countries in the World (2024):

Rank	Country	Score
1	Estonia	75.7
2	Luxembourg	75.1
3	Germany	74.5
4	Finland	73.8
5	United Kingdom	72.6
6	Sweden	70.3
7	Norway	69.9
8	Austria	68.9
9	Switzerland	67.8
10	Denmark	67.7
11	Greece	67.3
12	France	67.0
13	Malta	66.9
14	Netherlands	66.9
15	Belgium	66.8
16	Ireland	65.8
17	Czech Republic	65.5
18	Slovakia	65.1
19	Iceland	64.3
20	Poland	64.2
21	Lithuania	64.1
22	Spain	64.0
23	Australia	63.1
24	Slovenia	62.4
25	Croatia	62.3
26	Portugal	61.9
27	Japan	61.4
28	Canada	61.1
29	Italy	60.3
30	Latvia	60.2
31	Hungary	59.8
32	Belarus	58.2
33	New Zealand	57.3
34	Romania	57.3
35	United States of America	57.2
36	Suriname	56.9
37	Bulgaria	56.2
38	Bahamas	55.9
39	Antigua and Barbuda	55.6
40	Costa Rica	55.5
41	Ukraine	54.6
42	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	54.2
43	Cyprus	53.9
44	Gabon	53.3
45	Venezuela	53.3
46	Barbados	53.1
47	Brazil	53.0
48	Singapore	53.0
49	Panama	52.9
50	Cuba	52.5
51	Trinidad and Tobago	52.5
52	Albania	52.2
53	United Arab Emirates	51.6
54	Zimbabwe	51.6
55	Ecuador	51.3
56	Oman	51.3
57	Saint Lucia	51.1
58	South Korea	50.6
59	North Macedonia	50.3
60	Taiwan	50.1
61	Timor-Leste	49.9
62	Serbia	49.8
63	Colombia	49.7
64	Chile	49.6
65	Dominica	49.3
66	Botswana	49.2
67	Guyana	49.0
68	Jamaica	48.5
69	Brunei Darussalam	48.3
70	Israel	48.0
71	Seychelles	47.9
72	Kazakhstan	47.8
73	Dominican Republic	47.7
74	Montenegro	47.7
75	Belize	47.4
76	Nicaragua	47.4
77	Georgia	47.3
78	Jordan	47.3
79	Mauritius	47.3
80	Samoa	47.1
81	Argentina	47.0
82	Qatar	46.8
83	Russia	46.7
84	Zambia	46.7
85	Peru	46.5
86	Moldova	46.1
87	Bosnia and Herzegovina	46.0
88	Fiji	46.0
89	Grenada	45.8
90	Thailand	45.7
91	Bolivia	45.3
92	Tunisia	45.3
93	Vanuatu	45.0
94	Armenia	44.9
95	Kuwait	44.4
96	Kiribati	44.3
97	Mexico	44.2
98	Uruguay	44.1
99	Namibia	44.0
100	Senegal	43.8
101	Egypt	43.7
102	Tanzania	43.6
103	Bhutan	43.3
104	Cote d’Ivoire	42.9
105	Kyrgyzstan	42.8
106	South Africa	42.7
107	Uzbekistan	42.6
108	Marshall Islands	42.5
109	Saudi Arabia	42.5
110	Burkina Faso	42.2
111	Solomon Islands	42.2
112	Guinea-Bissau	42.0
113	Iran	41.8
114	Algeria	41.7
115	Equatorial Guinea	41.7
116	El Salvador	41.6
117	Republic of Congo	41.6
118	Malaysia	41.0
119	Micronesia	40.8
120	Turkmenistan	40.6
121	Azerbaijan	40.5
122	Tonga	40.4
123	Honduras	40.2
124	Angola	40.1
125	Niger	40.0
126	Lebanon	39.9
127	Sierra Leone	39.9
128	Dem. Rep. Congo	39.5
129	Morocco	39.5
130	Paraguay	39.5
131	Sudan	39.1
132	Central African Republic	39.0
133	Mozambique	39.0
134	Sri Lanka	38.8
135	Eswatini	38.7
136	Cameroon	38.6
137	Comoros	38.2
138	Maldives	38.1
139	Cabo Verde	38.0
140	Nigeria	37.9
141	Benin	37.8
142	Gambia	37.6
143	Mongolia	37.2
144	Turkiye	37.2
145	Ghana	36.9
146	Kenya	36.9
147	Lesotho	36.9
148	Papua New Guinea	36.9
149	Guinea	36.5
150	Haiti	36.4
151	Ethiopia	36.3
152	Sao Tome and Principe	36.2
153	Chad	35.9
154	Uganda	35.8
155	Togo	35.7
156	China	35.4
157	Bahrain	35.3
158	Malawi	35.1
159	Mauritania	34.6
160	Mali	34.5
161	Liberia	34.3
162	Rwanda	33.9
163	Indonesia	33.6
164	Burundi	33.5
165	Nepal	33.1
166	Guatemala	32.5
167	Djibouti	32.3
168	Tajikistan	32.3
169	Philippines	32.1
170	Cambodia	31.2
171	Afghanistan	31.0
172	Iraq	30.3
173	Madagascar	30.1
174	Eritrea	29.0
175	Bangladesh	28.1
176	India	27.6
177	Myanmar	27.1
178	Laos	26.3
179	Pakistan	25.5
180	Viet Nam	24.6

Source:

Yale Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2024: https://epi.yale.edu/downloads