Is the air in Athens safe today?

For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Athens is 66, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

When is the best time to be outside in Athens?

Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 61. The worst hour is around Sat 18:00, at 75.

What is the main pollutant in Athens?

Fine particles (PM2.5). It drives the index right now, at 17 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.

How does Athens's air compare with the WHO guideline?

1.1 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO2 is also forecast above its guideline level.

How many cigarettes is a day of Athens's air?

About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.

Will air quality in Athens improve this week?

Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 62, against 89 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Athens air quality

Greece · Live AQI and hourly forecast for the next 5 days · valid Fri 19:00 local time

Moderate

US AQI, mostly PM_2.5

Model estimate. Nearby measurements are shown separately.

Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.

Next 24 hours: 61–75US AQI, highest around Sat 18:00
Best time outside: Sat 05:00–8:00US AQI about 61
PM_2.5 vs WHO guideline: 1.1×17 µg/m³ over 24 h, guideline 15
Cigarette equivalent: ≈ 0.8 a dayBerkeley Earth rule of thumb

Loading the live globe…

The live globe, centred on Athens. Switch pollutants, drag through the next 5 days or press play. Full map →

Pollutants in Athens right now

Pollutant	Now	Level	Next 24 h vs WHO
Fine particles PM_2.5	17 µg/m³	Moderate	1.1×
Coarse particles PM₁₀	35 µg/m³	Good	1.0×
Nitrogen dioxide NO₂	39 µg/m³	Good	1.0×
Ozone O₃	44 µg/m³	Good	0.5×
Sulphur dioxide SO₂	3.5 µg/m³	Good	0.1×
Carbon monoxide CO	229 µg/m³	Good	0.0×
Aerosol optical depth	0.18	Whole atmosphere · dimensionless
Desert dust	18 µg/m³	Modelled surface dust
UV index	0	Low

“Next 24 h vs WHO” compares the forecast with the World Health Organization’s 2021 guideline levels: 24-hour means of 15 µg/m³ for PM_2.5, 45 for PM₁₀, 25 for NO₂, 40 for SO₂ and 4 mg/m³ for CO, and 100 µg/m³ over 8 hours for ozone. Above 1× is above the guideline. Levels follow the US AQI, which is far less strict than the WHO, so air rated Good can still be above a guideline.

Next 48 hours

Hourly US AQI. Highest 89 around Sat 19:00, lowest 29 around Sun 12:00.

Good 0–50Moderate 51–100Sensitive 101–150Unhealthy 151–200Very unhealthy 201–300Hazardous 301+

5-day air quality forecast for Athens

Daily range of the hourly US AQI, from lowest to highest, on a scale of 0 to 150.

Day	US AQI	At worst	Worst hour	PM_2.5 avg	UV max
Fri 13 Nov	47–66	Moderate	18:00	13	2 Low
Sat 14 Nov	61–89	Moderate	19:00	18	3 Moderate
Sun 15 Nov	29–62	Moderate	0:00	9.5	2 Low
Mon 16 Nov	50–83	Moderate	21:00	15	2 Low
Tue 17 Nov	52–68	Moderate	0:00	13	2 Low

Common questions about the air in Athens

Is the air in Athens safe today?
For most people, yes. Right now the US AQI in Athens is 66, which counts as moderate. Acceptable. Unusually sensitive people should ease off long, intense outdoor effort.
When is the best time to be outside in Athens?
Sat 05:00–8:00. That is the cleanest stretch in the next 24 hours, with the US AQI averaging about 61. The worst hour is around Sat 18:00, at 75.
What is the main pollutant in Athens?
Fine particles (PM_2.5). It drives the index right now, at 17 µg/m³. Tiny particles from combustion, fires and dust that reach deep into the lungs. The main driver of AQI worldwide.
How does Athens's air compare with the WHO guideline?
1.1 times the guideline. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³, against the World Health Organization's 24-hour guideline of 15 µg/m³. NO₂ is also forecast above its guideline level.
How many cigarettes is a day of Athens's air?
About 0.8 cigarettes. Over the next 24 hours PM_2.5 averages about 17 µg/m³. By Berkeley Earth's rule of thumb, 22 µg/m³ breathed for a day is roughly one cigarette.
Will air quality in Athens improve this week?
Sunday looks cleanest. Its AQI peaks at 62, against 89 on Saturday, the worst day in the forecast.

Measured near Athens

Station and measurements	Distance	US AQI	Level
ARISTOTELOUS OpenAQ, reference monitor PM_2.5: 11 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00 PM₁₀: 44 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00 NO₂: 39 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00 SO₂: 6.0 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00	0.5 km	55	Moderate
PATISION OpenAQ, reference monitor O₃: 6.0 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00 SO₂: 4.0 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00 CO: 300 µg/m³ · Fri 18:00	1.8 km	3	Good
Unnamed sensor Sensor.Community, low-cost sensor PM_2.5: 3.4 µg/m³ · Fri 19:38 PM₁₀: 16 µg/m³ · Fri 19:38	1.9 km	19	Good

Air quality near Athens

US AQI right now. Cleanest nearby: Istanbul (52); worst: Skopje (81). The tick on each bar is Athens, at 66.

Skopje 488 km NW 81 Moderate
Sofia 525 km N 75 Moderate
Istanbul 562 km NE 52 Moderate
Bucharest 743 km N 53 Moderate
Sarajevo 791 km NW 74 Moderate
Belgrade 804 km N 52 Moderate

All 162 cities →

About this forecast

Forecast from CAMS Europe and global via Open-Meteo: the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) model at about 40 km resolution (about 10 km inside Europe). Global runs update every 12 hours and European runs every 24 hours. Models smooth out street-level peaks, so busy roads and industrial sites can be worse than shown. Nearby station measurements are independent observations, not adjustments to the forecast. The point forecast uses Open-Meteo’s CAMS products, including a separate carbon monoxide product; it can differ from the globe’s global grid. The AQI rates each hour on the US EPA scale, the same way the map colors it; official daily figures average over 24 hours (8 for ozone), so they can read lower after a short peak. Readings for 37.98°N, 23.73°E, valid 2026-11-13 17:00 UTC.