A low-emission zone (ZFE) in Mérignac, western France, May 21, 2025. PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP
The day after the Assemblée Nationale abolished low-emission zones, Airparif published its annual air quality report for the Paris region on Wednesday, April 15. And the results were not good. After years of decline, the group warned that pollution levels began rising again in 2025 and regretted that some health and environmental policies that "have proven effective" are "now being called into question."
In 2025, concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), a toxic gas mainly emitted by road traffic and particularly diesel vehicles, saw a "slight" increase (10%) compared to 2024. The recorded pollution levels occasionally exceeded the current regulatory thresholds: 40 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3) for annual average NO2 concentrations.
Last year, 1,500 Paris region residents were exposed to concentrations above this limit, a particularly dangerous level for health, nearly double the number from 2024 (800 people). According to Airparif, this increase highlights that local conditions remain "critical," especially near major roads such as the Périphérique ring road or highways that cross the Paris region.
