SmogRank / World / Europe / Belgium / Flanders

Most polluted cities in Flanders, Belgium

27 measured cities, this year; 27 above the WHO annual guideline. Worst: Meulebeke at 10.7 µg/m³, #859 in the world.

Ranked by unhealthy days: the share of each city's measured days with a daily mean over 35.4 µg/m³ (US AQI 101+), Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups or worse on the US EPA's scale. Ties go to the higher average.

Flanders: 27 measured citiesWallonia: 17 measured citiesBrussels Capital: 1 measured city#27 Overijse: 7.5 µg/m³#26 Aarschot: 7.6 µg/m³#24 Zaventem: 7.7 µg/m³#25 Gingelom: 7.7 µg/m³#23 Mol: 8.1 µg/m³#22 Stabroek: 8.2 µg/m³#21 Hasselt: 8.3 µg/m³#19 Kortrijk: 8.4 µg/m³#20 Genk: 8.4 µg/m³#17 Willebroek: 8.5 µg/m³#18 Mechelen: 8.5 µg/m³#15 Veurne: 8.6 µg/m³#16 Kapellen: 8.6 µg/m³#14 Beersel: 8.7 µg/m³#12 Gent: 8.8 µg/m³#13 Beveren: 8.8 µg/m³#9 Menen: 8.9 µg/m³#10 Grimbergen: 8.9 µg/m³#11 Antwerp: 8.9 µg/m³#8 Ertvelde: 9.0 µg/m³#7 Melsele: 9.1 µg/m³#5 Knokke-Heist: 9.2 µg/m³#6 Damme: 9.2 µg/m³#3 Roeselare: 9.3 µg/m³#4 Houthalen: 9.3 µg/m³#2 Zelzate: 9.6 µg/m³#1 Meulebeke: 10.7 µg/m³
Each dot is a measured city, coloured by its PM2.5; tap a dot to open the city.
← Overijse 4% 4%0
Every measured city in Flanders, Belgium, one column each, ranked by unhealthy days: height is the share of its measured days that were unhealthy, colour its average. Point at it to read a city; tap to open it.
  1. 1Overijselow-cost sensorslast full day 10 Sept 4%
  2. 2Beersellow-cost sensorslast full day 2 Oct 4%
  3. 3Houthalen 2%
  4. 4Meulebeke 2%
  5. 5Mechelen 1%
  6. 6Willebroeklast full day 2 Oct 1%
  7. 7Ertvelde 1%
  8. 8Zelzatelast full day 2 Oct 1%
  9. 9Melsele 1%
  10. 10Gent 1%
  11. 11Menen 1%
  12. 11Grimbergen 1%
  13. 13Beveren 1%
  14. 14Roeselare 1%
  15. 15Knokke-Heist 1%
  16. 16Antwerp 1%
  17. 17Damme 1%
  18. 18Gingelom 1%
  19. 19Kapellen 1%
  20. 20Kortrijk 1%
  21. 21Mol 1%
  22. 22Zaventem 1%
  23. 23Aarschot 1%
  24. 24Hasselt 0%
  25. 25Genk 0%
  26. 26Veurnelast full day 2 Oct 0%
  27. 27Stabroek 0%

Low-cost sensors: consumer units, counted only in cities with no government-grade monitor; they read close to reference monitors on the whole, but 15 to 25% high in humid air. How we use them.

Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

The US EPA's Air Quality Index for PM2.5 (2024 breakpoints). Show values as: µg/m³ · US AQI · India AQI · China AQI · European AQI · UK DAQI · Canada AQHI+. About the scales

Estimated: cities without a monitor

Flanders cities we can't measure, with model estimates for the last 7 days. Listed by population, not ranked: estimates aren't precise enough to rank. Model estimates from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS), adjusted to measured cities nearby where there are any. Adjusted, a single day lands within ×1.5 of what a monitor would read about two times in three; unadjusted, it can be off by half or double. Treat them as a guide, not a measurement.

City7-day estimateBand
Brugge≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Leuven≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Deurne≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Aalst≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Ostend≈ 7 µg/m³Good
Sint-Niklaas≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Borgerhout≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Dendermonde≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Merksem≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Turnhout≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Berchem≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Lokeren≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Wilrijk≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Beringen≈ 9 µg/m³Moderate
Dilbeek≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Heist-op-den-Berg≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Sint-Truiden≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Brasschaat≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Vilvoorde≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Maasmechelen≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Waregem≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Ieper≈ 9 µg/m³Moderate
Ninove≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Geel≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Halle≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Hoboken≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Schoten≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Lier≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Sint-Amandsberg≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Lommel≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Oudenaarde≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Tienen≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Heusden≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Wevelgem≈ 9 µg/m³Moderate
Geraardsbergen≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Sint-Pieters-Leeuw≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Kessel-Lo≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Blauwput≈ 8 µg/m³Good
Helchteren≈ 9 µg/m³Good
Tongeren≈ 8 µg/m³Good

Bad-air episodes in Flanders

Times when many cities around here had PM2.5 at twice their usual or more on the same days.

Use this board

SmogRank, most polluted cities in Flanders, Belgium, PM2.5, this year to 6 Oct 2026, 22:00 UTC, smogrank.com/be/region/flanders?w=year.

Download top 10 (PNG)

You're welcome to reuse a single chart, image or figure with this citation and a link. Terms. Raw monitor readings in bulk are published by OpenAQ, under each provider's licence.

Updated 2026-10-06 22:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors, as the US AQI PM2.5 sub-index.