Short answer. Serbia's Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) publishes an hourly air quality index for each monitoring station, in six categories from "good" to "extremely polluted" 1. Fine particles (PM2.5) average about 16 µg/m³ in the median Serbian city, roughly three times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ 35. At "extremely polluted", sensitive people should avoid physical activity outdoors 1.
Where can I check air quality right now?
On SEPA's air quality page, vazduh.sepa.gov.rs, which lists the current index for each station with hourly values of PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2 and ozone 1. The table includes stations from several networks, such as the Belgrade City Institute of Public Health's 1.
The index is based on unverified hourly measurements and shows short-term conditions 1. SEPA says it is not a tool for checking compliance with legal limit values and does not reflect the long-term situation, which can differ significantly 1. A lighter colour means some pollutants were missing at that station; grey means no data 1.
What do the index levels mean?
SEPA sets each station's index by the worst category reached by any of the five pollutants 1. Its official advice 1:
| Category (SEPA) | General population | Sensitive people |
|---|---|---|
| Good (dobar) | Enjoy usual outdoor activities | Enjoy usual outdoor activities |
| Acceptable (prihvatljiv) | Enjoy usual outdoor activities | Enjoy usual outdoor activities |
| Moderate (umeren) | Enjoy usual outdoor activities | Consider reducing intense outdoor activity if you have symptoms |
| Polluted (zagađen) | Consider reducing intense outdoor activity if you have symptoms such as eye pain, cough or sore throat | Consider reducing physical activity, especially outdoors, particularly if you have symptoms |
| Very polluted (veoma zagađen) | As for "polluted" | Reduce physical activity, especially outdoors, particularly if you have symptoms |
| Extremely polluted (izuzetno zagađen) | Reduce physical activity outdoors | Avoid physical activity outdoors |
SEPA's page links to more detailed advice from the Belgrade City Institute of Public Health, a city-level institute rather than a national one. It counts older people, children and people with chronic illness, above all lung, heart and blood-vessel disease, as sensitive groups 2. See Air quality index explained and Polluted air and sensitive people.
How polluted is the air on average?
The population-weighted median of Serbian cities shows about 16 µg/m³ of PM2.5 (annual mean 2021-2023) 3, about three times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³ 5. Nitrogen dioxide is about 7.1 µg/m³ 4, below the WHO guideline of 10 µg/m³ 5. That NO2 figure is a regional background over roughly 80 km: a busy street will be higher. These are city medians, not the air in your street.
What should I do on a bad air day, or with smoke or dust?
- Polluted or worse: follow SEPA's national advice for the category at your nearest station 1. The Belgrade City Institute of Public Health, a regional source, goes further: at "polluted", sensitive people should avoid long strenuous outdoor activity and move activities indoors until the air improves; at "very polluted" and above, everyone should avoid all outdoor physical activity and shorten time outside 2. See Pollution episodes and Children and polluted air.
- Smoke or dust: Phaenyx found no official Serbian guidance on wildfire smoke. See Wildfire smoke, A clean-air room at home, Masks for smoke and Dust storms. How warnings reach you is on our Serbia alerts page.
A household plan can note who at home is sensitive to polluted air and where to stay on bad days.
Frequently asked questions
Does Serbia have a national air quality index?
Yes. SEPA publishes an hourly six-category index for each monitoring station 1.
Is the index a measure of legal limit breaches?
No. SEPA says it reflects short-term conditions for public information, not compliance with limit values 1.
Which pollutants does the index use?
PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2 and ground-level ozone; carbon monoxide is not counted 1.
Who counts as sensitive to polluted air?
Older people, children and people with chronic lung, heart or blood-vessel disease, according to the Belgrade City Institute of Public Health, a city-level institute 2.
Sources
- Agencija za zaštitu životne sredine (Serbian Environmental Protection Agency, SEPA) — Indeks kvaliteta vazduha — https://vazduh.sepa.gov.rs/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
- Gradski zavod za javno zdravlje Beograd (Belgrade City Institute of Public Health) — AQI – Uticaj kvaliteta vazduha i preporuke — https://static.kosava.cloud/pages/aqi/aqi-preporuka-latinica.html (accessed 2026-10-27)
- 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)
- Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) — CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) — https://ads.atmosphere.copernicus.eu/ (accessed 2026-10-27)
- World Health Organization (WHO) — WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) — https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240034228 (accessed 2026-10-27)
Turn this into action
Your plan for Serbia, worked out for your household.
- Water, food and equipment counted for each person and pet
- The nuclear plants and zones around your home
- Phaenyx Safe: one tap to tell your people you are safe
Sources
- Agencija za zaštitu životne sredine (Serbian Environmental Protection Agency, SEPA) · Indeks kvaliteta vazduha checked 2026-10-27
- Gradski zavod za javno zdravlje Beograd (Belgrade City Institute of Public Health) · AQI – Uticaj kvaliteta vazduha i preporuke checked 2026-10-27
- 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
- Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) · CAMS global reanalysis (EAC4) checked 2026-10-27
- World Health Organization (WHO) · WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) checked 2026-10-27