Top 10 Cleanest Cities in the World and India’s Cleanest City

The cleanest cities in the world usually include Calgary, Zurich, Luxembourg, Adelaide, Singapore, Kobe, Wellington, Freiburg, Oslo and Honolulu. They share strict rules on litter, serious recycling systems and strong public transport. In India, Indore leads the cleanliness charts, while Ahmedabad was named the cleanest big city in Swachh Survekshan 2024-25.

How we picked the cleanest cities

There is no single official world ranking of clean cities. Different surveys look at different things: air quality, waste management, street litter, water and green space. This list picks cities that keep appearing on those lists and explains, in plain terms, what each one does differently.

The order below is our editorial pick, not an official ranking. Where we mention a specific rule or scheme, we have kept to well-documented facts and left out claims we could not confirm.

Quick facts

Top 10 cleanest cities in the world

1. Calgary, Canada

Calgary sits between the Rocky Mountains and the prairies and has long featured near the top of international cleanliness lists. Households sort waste into separate carts, including a green cart for food and yard waste that goes for composting. The city fines people for littering and keeps a close eye on its parks and river paths.

2. Zurich, Switzerland

Zurich runs one of the best public transport networks in Europe, with trams, buses, trains and boats that make driving unnecessary for most residents. Switzerland also charges for rubbish by the bag, so people have every reason to recycle. The result is clean streets and a lake you can swim in during summer.

3. Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Luxembourg became the first country to make all public transport free, from 2020. Buses, trams and trains cost nothing, which keeps cars off the road and the air cleaner. The capital also has large green spaces and a well-kept old town.

4. Adelaide, Australia

South Australia has run a container deposit scheme since 1977, so people get money back for returning bottles and cans. In 2009 it became the first Australian state to ban lightweight plastic shopping bags. Adelaide, its capital, benefits directly, with less litter on streets and beaches.

5. Singapore

Singapore is famous for its rules. The sale of chewing gum has been banned since 1992, littering brings heavy fines, and offenders can be ordered to do public clean-up work. The city also invests heavily in greenery, so even dense neighbourhoods feel open and tidy.

6. Kobe, Japan

Like most Japanese cities, Kobe asks residents to sort rubbish into several categories and put it out only on fixed days. Public bins are rare, and people are expected to carry their waste home. The port city pairs this with efficient sewage treatment and clean, well-maintained streets.

7. Wellington, New Zealand

New Zealand’s capital is small, compact and easy to walk. Many residents commute by bus, train or on foot, and the strong winds the city is known for help keep the air fresh. The harbour, green belt and hills around the city are protected and well looked after.

8. Freiburg, Germany

Freiburg is one of Europe’s best-known eco-cities. Its Vauban district was designed to be largely car-free, with homes built for low energy use and many rooftops covered with solar panels. Cycling and trams are the normal way to get around.

9. Oslo, Norway

Oslo turns food waste and sewage into biogas that runs city buses, which is a neat answer to two problems at once. Norway also has one of the highest shares of electric cars in the world, and Oslo has cut cars out of large parts of its centre.

10. Honolulu, USA

Honolulu regularly appears in the American Lung Association’s State of the Air report as one of the US cities with the cleanest air. Trade winds, an island setting and limited heavy industry help. Because tourism matters so much, beaches and public spaces are kept in good shape.

Updated for 2026: the cleanest city in India

India’s official cleanliness survey is Swachh Survekshan, run by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. In the 2024-25 results, announced on 17 July 2025, the ministry created a new “Super Swachh League” for cities that had been toppers for years. Indore, Surat, Navi Mumbai and Vijayawada were moved into it.

Among big cities outside that league, Ahmedabad was named the cleanest, followed by Bhopal and Lucknow. Indore remains the city most Indians think of first, after topping the survey for seven years in a row before the new league was introduced. For more lists like this, see our listicles section.

What Indian cities can learn

The pattern across these cities is simple. Waste is sorted at home, collection is regular and reliable, littering carries a real penalty, and good public transport cuts down traffic and air pollution. Indore’s rise shows the same formula can work in India. Switzerland and its spotless towns have also been a favourite backdrop in Bollywood films for decades.

Frequently asked questions

Sources: The Week (PTI) on Swachh Survekshan 2024-25, Wikipedia: Vauban, Freiburg, American Lung Association: State of the Air.