10 Most Cleanest Countries In The World 2022

Cleanliness is one of the most important factors in a country’s success. In this list, we’ve ranked the ten most clean countries in the world. These countries all boast clean water, healthy air, and well-maintained infrastructure. They’re also relatively prosperous and have low crime rates. Each country has made significant commitments to environmentalism and cleanliness and reaped the benefits in terms of healthy ecosystems and a strengthened economy. In recent years, many countries have made great strides in their efforts to clean up their act, but there is still much work to be done.

What is the Environmental Performance Index (EPI)?

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a comparative tool to measure environmental performance across countries. The EPI was created by the World Resources Institute and the International Institute for Sustainable Development in 1996. The EPI uses 24 indicators to measure environmental performance. 

The EPI ranks 180 countries on 24 performance indicators across 10 issue areas, with a 0-100 score. The EPI has been used to rank countries in terms of their environmental performance.

Top 10 Cleanest Countries in the World – 2022 EPI

Denmark

Denmark has been announced as the world’s cleanest country according to the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The Danish government has been praised for its efforts in creating a sustainable future, with a focus on renewable energy and reducing carbon emissions. 

The EPI report found that Denmark’s average score was 77.90 out of 100, with the top three categories being air quality, water quality, and environmental effects. There were some lower scores for issues such as biodiversity and fisheries, but these were outweighed by the country’s strong performance in other areas.

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom is the world’s second cleanest country, according to the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI). The EPI report found that United Kingdom’s average score was 77.70 out of 100. The EPI measures a country’s environmental performance across 10 categories, including air quality, water quality, climate, and energy.

The United Kingdom has made significant progress in improving its environmental performance in recent years. In particular, the country has made strides in reducing air pollution, which has long been a major issue in London and other major cities.

Finland

Finland achieved a score of 76.50 out of 100 in the latest ranking. Finland is the world’s third cleanest country, according to the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI). It was ranked first for Air Quality and second for Water & Sanitation. Finland outperforms many other countries in water quality and environmental health. In fact, it was one of only five countries to score a perfect 10 in the category of drinking water and sanitation. The country also scored well in the categories of air quality and climate and energy, with a score of 8.5 out of 10. 

While there are still some areas where Finland could improve, such as waste management and biodiversity protection, this latest ranking shows that the country is making great strides when it comes to protecting its environment.

Malta

Malta achieved a score of 75.20, putting it ahead of many other European Union countries. The main factors contributing to Malta’s high ranking were its strong performance in air quality and climate change, as well as its good management of water resources.

Malta scored particularly high in the categories of air quality (2nd) and water and sanitation (3rd). In terms of climate and energy, the country ranked 16th due to its reliance on imported fossil fuels. However, it fared well in terms of renewable energy generation capacity per capita (5th).

Sweden

Sweden scored 72.70 out of 100 in the latest ranking, thanks to its top marks for air quality and climate change mitigation. It also ranked highly for water quality, with only a few issues related to wastewater management. Sweden’s overall environmental performance was praised by the report’s authors, who said that the country is “a global leader in many aspects of environmental protection and sustainability.” 

Luxembourg

Luxembourg scored 72.30, with 100 being the best score. Luxembourg has made great strides in improving its environmental performance, with notable improvements in air quality and reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. The country also boasts a well-developed waste management system, with high rates of recycling and composting. 

However, Luxembourg still faces challenges in terms of water quality and biodiversity conservation. In particular, the country faces pressures from agriculture and tourism development. Luxembourg is committed to addressing these challenges and further improving its environmental performance.

Slovenia

Slovenia scored 67.30 out of 100 on the EPI scale 2022. Its highest scores were for water and sanitation (83.30) and climate and energy (79.90), while its lowest score was for air quality (41.60). Slovenia’s overall score was dragged down by its poor air quality and waste management scores.

However, Slovenia faces challenges in terms of climate change and energy security. The country’s greenhouse gas emissions are high, and it lacks renewable energy sources. In addition, Slovenia has a high level of water stress, meaning that there is not enough water available to meet all the competing demands on it. 

Austria

Austria scored 66.50 out of 100 on the EPI scale. Austria’s high ranking is due in part to its low levels of air pollution. In fact, Austria has the lowest levels of sulfur dioxide emissions in Europe. Additionally, Austria’s forests are well-preserved, and the country has made strides in renewable energy production.

While Austria performs well overall, there are some areas where improvement is needed. For example, Austria lags behind other countries in terms of waste management. And while the country has made progress in renewable energy production, it still relies heavily on fossil fuels.

Switzerland

Switzerland scored 65.90 out of 100 on the EPI scale. Switzerland achieved high scores for drinking water quality and access (95.0), wastewater treatment (96.9), and protected areas (92.5%). In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, it ranked 15th out of 180 countries with a score of 65.90.

While Switzerland’s overall environmental performance is good, there are some areas that could be improved. For instance, the country scored only 58.9% for air quality, due to its high levels of PM2.5 particulate matter from transportation and industry sources.

Iceland

Iceland is the 10th cleanest country in the world according to the 2022 Environmental Performance Index (EPI).

The report also highlighted that Iceland is one of the most sustainable countries in the world, with a very low ecological footprint per capita. Icelanders’ love of nature and strong environmental consciousness has resulted in some of the world’s cleanest air and water. In fact, over 60% of Iceland’s energy comes from renewable sources, mainly hydro and geothermal power.

Finally, The EPI ranks 180 countries based on their environmental performance in 10 categories: air quality, water and sanitation, climate and energy, land use and forests, fisheries, materials management, waste management, air pollution, and water resources.  All of these high-ranked countries on the list have strong environmental policies and a large percentage of their electricity comes from renewable sources. 

Interestingly, the EPI found that economic development is not always correlated with better environmental performance. Some of the poorest countries in the world ranked high on the EPI, while some of the richest countries lagged behind.