 Those who live in cleaner countries or cities tend to have longer life expectancies than those with less cleaner surroundings. Clean water, better air quality, better waste management and sanitation are all factors that significantly affect human health and lifespan. For example, countries with high air quality scores and low exposure to harmful particles will allow their people to be less susceptible to illnesses associated with air pollution, such as respiratory or cardiovascular disease. Countries with high pollution levels see high rates of non-communicable diseases, accounting for 72% of all deaths, 16% of which are caused by toxic pollution. So researchers at Yale University and Columbia University collaborated with the World Economic Forum to measure the cleanness and environmental friendliness of over 180 countries around the world. The Environmental Performance Index, or EPI, ranks countries from the cleanest to the dirtiest in the world based on two policy objectives. Ecosystem vitality and environmental health. The EPI ranks each country on 24 performance indicators across 10 categories. That cover environmental health and ecosystem vitality. These categories include air quality, water and sanitation, biodiversity and habitat and sustainability. The EPI allows countries to see how effective their environmental policies are and how close they are to achieving their environmental goals. So let's start off this video with number 10, Germany. Germany is the 10th cleanest country and is also the most technologically advanced country in the world, according to this study. Its EPI score is 77.2 with a perfect score for sanitation and ranking 4th for biodiversity. Germany is heading towards a renewable energy revolution, increasing its environmental friendliness through 10 green initiatives. Norway's EPI is 77.7. It has a perfect score for sanitation and drinking water and an air quality score of 97.9 out of 100, the 5th highest in the world. Norway's electricity is 97% renewable. By the end of 2021, the government aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 30%. Sweden's EPI score is 78.7. Sweden also in Nordic country received a perfect score for addressing the life-threatening impacts of lead exposure. The country is also one of the most sustainable, globally known for its low carbon dioxide emissions and the use of renewable energy sources. Sweden is known for increasing its greenery and preserving thousands of acres of forest as well as having world-class recycling systems. 7. Shock in another Nordic country, Finland. Finland is the 7th cleanest country in the world. About 35% of Finland's energy comes from renewable energy resources. Finland ranks first for environmental health, scoring 99.35 in this category, as well as ranking high for water and sanitation, air quality and heavy metal exposure. The country also prioritises forest and wildlife conservation. 6. Austria. With an EPI of 79.6, Austria is the 6th cleanest country in the world. Austria ranked third overall for agriculture, having stringent regulations for pesticides and fertilisers and fifth for ecosystem vitality. Austria is known to have some of Europe's strictest air pollution standards, chemicals and waste management also. About two-thirds of Austria is covered in dense forests and meadows. 5. France. France has an EPI score of 80.9, making it the 5th cleanest country in the world. Although France is industrialised, almost 80% of its energy is from nuclear power, significantly reducing its carbon emissions and receiving 96.82 for air pollution. France's environmental initiatives include hydro turbines along its rivers and banning supermarkets from throwing away unused good food. 4. The United Kingdom. The United Kingdom is the 4th cleanest country in the world, receiving an EPI of 81.3. This score is rather impressive considering the country's population is around 66 million. The UK has perfect scores for drinking water, sanitation and reducing exposure to PM2.5 exposure. The UK also has high scores for both air quality and biodiversity as well as habitat. 3. Switzerland. Switzerland is the 3rd cleanest country in the world, with an overall EPI score of 81.5. Switzerland scored exponentially high for water sanitation, receiving a score of 99.99, and for water resources receiving a score of 99.67. Switzerland is well known for its clean water, thick forests and abundant wildlife. Its air is incredibly clean and boasts some of the most beautiful landscapes on Earth, a fantastic place to live overall. 2. Luxembourg. Luxembourg has made significant progress in reducing the negative impacts on its environment despite its rapid population and GDP growth. Luxembourg's overall score is 82.3 and its scores for biodiversity and habitat and water resources are notably high at 96.54 and 99.76 respectively. Luxembourg is a relatively small nation with less than 600,000 people, allowing the majority of the country to be rural. This allowed forests and nature parks to be plentiful. 1. Denmark. Denmark is the cleanest and most environmentally friendly country on Earth. Denmark has some of the world's best policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prevent climate change. Its EPI score is 82.5, standing out for high air quality scores and the biodiversity and habitat category. Denmark also focuses on sustainability with eco-friendly hotels, solar powered boats and organic food. So there we have it, 10 of the cleanest countries in the world according to the Environmental Performance Index. Of course, no country in the world is immaculate and all of the countries on this list will have areas that are dangerously toxic and unclean. But as a whole, they are the cleanest in the world. Did this list surprise you, the fact that they were all from Europe? Were you expecting to see any other nations on this list? Let us know in the comments section below. Thank you so much for watching, I hope you have a fantastic week wherever you may be. Remember to drop a cheeky like if you enjoyed the video and if you love learning about places from around the world then consider subscribing, it's completely free and we've got plenty more to come. Thanks again for watching and we will see you very soon in the next video.