Glossary · Indices and scores

Air quality index

A 0–100 score capturing annual average air-pollution levels. Higher = cleaner air.

The air quality index translates pollution data (primarily PM2.5 and NO₂ averages) into a 0-100 score, where 100 represents air cleaner than WHO guidelines. It's an annualized number — the actual daily score varies with weather, season, and traffic.

For most readers, air quality scores below 50 are a hard filter: long-term exposure to elevated PM2.5 measurably reduces life expectancy and raises cardiovascular risk, even for healthy adults. Below 35, the effect is comparable to passive smoking.

Air quality also has a strong neighborhood dimension. Riverside districts, parks, and outer ring suburbs typically score 10-20 points better than the city center. If a city's headline score is borderline but you can live in a better-aired neighborhood, the personal exposure may still be acceptable.

Where Mundevo uses this

Methodology — /methodology

Related terms

Safety index

A 0–100 score capturing crime levels and perceived personal safety in a city. Higher = safer.

Healthcare index

A 0–100 score capturing the quality and accessibility of a city's healthcare system. Higher = better.

Composite score

The Mundevo overall score for a city, on a 0–10 scale, blending affordability, quality of life, remote-work fit and healthcare.

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