Urban green space continues to decline globally
- Susan
- 21 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Husqvarna Group has launched the Urban Green Space Insights (HUGSI) Report 2025, which uses AI and satellite data to measure green spaces in cities worldwide. The report reveals that the 516 cities analysed have lost green areas equivalent to nearly the size of Paris. In contrast, the Nordic region stands out as a green hub, hosting some of the greenest cities globally.
Since 2019, the HUGSI has provided objective data on urban green space development. The tools are used in international research and serve as a foundation for city planning decisions. This year, a total of 516 cities in 80 countries on six continents have been analysed on each city's greenest day of the year, offering valuable insights into how urban greenery has evolved over time.
The analysed cities range from 5000 inhabitants in The Netherlands to mega cities like Chongqing in China with over 30 million inhabitants. The average green coverage ranges from 25% in South and West Asia to 46% in Europe. For instance, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), has only 1% green coverage, while several European cities boast more than 60% of greenery.
‘As urbanisation accelerates, understanding how green spaces change is essential for creating sustainable, liveable cities. Active development of urban greenery should always be a priority when planning public infrastructure,’ said Erik Swan, green space specialist and project manager for HUGSI at Husqvarna Group.
Between 2023 and 2024, the analysed cities recorded a loss of 95 million m² of green space – almost the size of Paris – primarily due to human activities such as construction and urban expansion. Among the analysed cities, 73% show a negative development. On the positive side, 45 million m² of new or improved green space was added, mostly through expanded grass cover, likely driven by weather conditions and other passive factors rather than active greening efforts.
Cities in the Northern Hemisphere generally have more green space than those in the Southern Hemisphere. Europe maintains the highest average share of urban greenery globally at 46%. Despite this, the net change in 418 European cities is negative: 17 million m² gained versus more than 30 million m² lost, resulting in a net loss of 13.3 million m² – equivalent to over 1800 football fields. Among European cities, Aarhus (Denmark), Sunderland (UK) and Chisinau (Moldova) show significant increases. Vilnius again tops the list of European capitals with 61% green space, 226 m² per capita, and 47% tree canopy cover.
The Nordic cities stand out with an impressive 49% share of urban green space (compared to Europe’s 46%), meaning nearly half of the urban land area in the 40 largest Nordic cities is covered by vegetation – trees, grass and shrubs. The region also shows lower green space loss than Europe overall, with a net decrease of 385,000 m². Vejle in Denmark is the greenest Nordic city (58% green space), followed by Uppsala and Linköping in Sweden. Aarhus leads Europe in net positive change, adding almost 1.2 million m² of greenery. The Nordics also shine globally with an average urban tree canopy cover of 35%. Finland ranks highest at 44%, while Denmark has fewer urban trees (24%) but some of the greenest cities overall with 48% green space.
‘Green spaces are the lungs of the city. Trees play a vital role in urban environments – they reduce temperatures through shade, improve air quality, support biodiversity and contribute to the mental and physical wellbeing of city residents,’ added Erik Swan.
To learn more about the methodology and the results, please find the reports here:
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