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Norway · Air quality

Air quality in Norway: where to check and what to do

Check Norway's air on the Miljødirektoratet map. Four classes, low to very high, each with official health advice for everyone and for vulnerable groups.

Updated 2026-10-27· 7 official sources· Les på norsk

Short answer. The Norwegian Environment Agency (Miljødirektoratet) publishes a national air quality map and forecast, Luftkvalitet i Norge 13. Air pollution is shown in four classes: low, moderate, high and very high 3. At "high", people with severe respiratory or heart disease, or worsening asthma, should reduce hard exercise and time in the most polluted areas; at "very high", everyone should reduce outdoor activity there 3.

Where can I check air quality right now?

  • Map and forecast: Miljødirektoratet's Luftkvalitet i Norge 1. The pollution classes and health advice it uses were set by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration, the Directorate of Health, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, MET Norway and Miljødirektoratet 3.
  • Your own area: MET Norway's forecast covers any location in Norway, by municipality (kommune), part of a municipality and grunnkrets, the smallest statistical unit in Norway, with a general index plus PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and ozone 2.

How public warnings reach your phone is explained on our Norway alerts page.

What do the index levels mean?

The four pollution classes apply to PM2.5, PM10, nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone and sulphur dioxide; the overall level shows the class of the worst pollutant 3.

Class Health effects 3 Advice for the general population 3
Low Little or no risk for adverse health effects Outdoor activity is recommended
Moderate Effects can occur in some people with asthma, other respiratory diseases or serious cardiovascular disease; healthy people are unlikely to be affected Outdoor activity is recommended
High Effects occur in people with asthma, other respiratory or cardiovascular diseases; healthy people may feel respiratory irritation Outdoor activity is usually recommended; if you have a cough or sore throat, consider reducing high-intensity activity in the most polluted areas
Very high Vulnerable groups are very likely to be affected; healthy people feel respiratory irritation and discomfort Reduce outdoor physical activity and time spent in the most polluted areas, especially with a cough or sore throat

For PM2.5, the classes start at 15, 25 and 75 µg/m³ as a daily mean, or 30, 50 and 150 µg/m³ as an hourly mean 34. See Air quality index explained.

How polluted is the air on average?

The population-weighted median of Norwegian cities shows about 6 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (annual mean 2021-2023) 5, slightly above the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ 7. Nitrogen dioxide is about 6.6 µg/m³ 6, below the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³ 7. That NO2 figure is a regional background over roughly 80 km: a busy street will be higher. These are city medians, not the value on your street.

What should I do on a bad air day, or during smoke?

Miljødirektoratet names five vulnerable groups: people with asthma and other respiratory diseases, people with cardiovascular disease and diabetes, older people, pregnant women and children 3. Its advice 3:

  • High: people with severe respiratory illness, worsening asthma or severe cardiovascular disease should reduce high-intensity activity and limit time in the most polluted outdoor areas; pregnant women and children with respiratory symptoms should limit time there.
  • Very high: people with asthma, other respiratory diseases or cardiovascular disease should not stay in the most polluted outdoor areas; everyone else should reduce physical activity and time spent there.

For people with diabetes, the advice matters most for fine particles (PM2.5) 3. For practical steps at home, see Pollution episodes, A clean-air room at home, Wildfire smoke, Masks for smoke, Sensitive people and polluted air and Children and polluted air. A household plan can note who at home is sensitive and where you check the forecast.

Frequently asked questions

Does Norway have a national air quality page?

Yes: Miljødirektoratet's Luftkvalitet i Norge 1.

How many levels does the Norwegian scale use?

Four: low, moderate, high and very high 3.

Who counts as vulnerable?

People with asthma or other respiratory diseases, cardiovascular disease or diabetes, older people, pregnant women and children 3.

Can I get the forecast for my own neighbourhood?

Yes. MET Norway forecasts down to the grunnkrets, the smallest statistical unit in Norway 2.

Sources

  1. Miljødirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency) — Luftkvalitet i Norge (kart) — https://luftkvalitet.miljodirektoratet.no/kart (accessed 2026-10-27)
  2. MET Norway (Meteorologisk institutt) — Airqualityforecast 0.1 – documentation — https://api.met.no/weatherapi/airqualityforecast/0.1/documentation (accessed 2026-10-27)
  3. Miljødirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency), Luftkvalitet i Norge — Health recommendations and pollution classes — https://luftkvalitet.miljodirektoratet.no/en/learn-more/health-recommendations-and-pollution-classes/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
  4. MET Norway (Meteorologisk institutt) — Airqualityforecast 0.1 – aqi_description — https://api.met.no/weatherapi/airqualityforecast/0.1/aqi_description (accessed 2026-10-27)
  5. Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG), Washington University in St. Louis — Surface PM2.5, V6.GL.02.04 (annual mean 2021-2023) — https://sites.wustl.edu/acag/datasets/surface-pm2-5/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
  6. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) — CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) — https://ads.atmosphere.copernicus.eu/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
  7. WHO — WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) — https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240034228 (accessed 2026-10-27)

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Sources

  1. Miljødirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency) · Luftkvalitet i Norge (kart) checked 2026-10-27
  2. MET Norway (Meteorologisk institutt) · Airqualityforecast 0.1 – documentation checked 2026-10-27
  3. Miljødirektoratet (Norwegian Environment Agency), Luftkvalitet i Norge · Health recommendations and pollution classes checked 2026-10-27
  4. MET Norway (Meteorologisk institutt) · Airqualityforecast 0.1 – aqi_description checked 2026-10-27
  5. Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group (ACAG), Washington University in St. Louis · Surface PM2.5, V6.GL.02.04 (annual mean 2021-2023) checked 2026-10-27
  6. Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) · CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) checked 2026-10-27
  7. World Health Organization (WHO) · WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) checked 2026-10-27