Winter has earned the grim moniker of “choking season” across the Balkans as cities in the region grapple with hazardous levels of air pollution. Despite public outrage and sporadic protests, little has been done to alleviate the worsening air quality that poses severe health risks.

In Serbia’s capital Belgrade, the city’s reliance on outdated coal-fired plants, a high number of diesel vehicles and widespread use of wood and coal for heating homes have created a toxic mix. 

Thick smog began descending over Belgrade in November, reducing visibility so much that it was difficult for people to safely drive to work. Day after day, Belgrade residents opened their curtains to a foggy abyss. The early morning smog at least offered brief respite from the city’s recent urban makeover, chopping the heads off some of the most egregious constructions. 

Apartment blocks loom out of the smog in Belgrade. Source: Tatyana Kekic. 

Belgrade’s air pollution ranks so high in the winter months that it often sits alongside cities like New Delhi and Lahore. In 2020, the Global Alliance on Health and Pollution reported that 175 out of every 100,000 deaths in Serbia were linked to pollution, making the country the ninth-worst globally in pollution-related mortality.

With such bad air quality, it is little wonder why the whole city smokes. Despite some reduction in smoking rates over the last decade, from over 51% in 2010 to 36.6% in 2022, vast numbers of Serbs still smoke. As many see it, who would decline a cigarette when the air outside is already a pack a day?

It’s a similar situation in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capital, where air pollution levels recently soared to three times the World Health Organisation’s recommended limit. In Plovdiv, air quality was similarly dire, with IQAir.com reporting PM2.5 levels three times above the healthy threshold.

The situation has become so normal during winter months that locals joke that they know they are in Sofia when they can see the air they breathe. During New Year’s Eve celebrations, the fog was so dense that the citizens of Sofia couldn't even see the fireworks at midnight.

Streetlights glow dimly through the polluted air in Sofia. Source: Denitsa Koseva. 

In Bosnia & Herzegovina, the capital Sarajevo issued a public alert on January 22, advising residents to stay indoors as PM2.5 levels reached a staggering 208.9 micrograms per cubic metre. A day earlier, the city topped global pollution rankings. Earlier in December, dense fog forced flight diversions from Sarajevo’s airport.

While Sarajevo is currently suffering, North Macedonia’s Skopje was the first capital in the region this year to earn the title of the world’s most polluted city. On January 3, the air quality in Skopje was 37.7 times worse than World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines. Citizens were advised to limit outdoor activities, especially vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.

The air pollution crisis has dire health consequences. In North Macedonia, over 3,800 people die annually due to exposure to harmful particles, accounting for an astounding 17.7% of the country’s mortality rate. Among infants under one year, one in nine deaths is attributed to polluted air.

Balkan nations, still reliant on coal and wood for heating, have struggled to address environmental issues and were slow to start the transition away from fossil fuels towards more renewable energy sources. Rivers are clogged with garbage, recycling is rare or non-existent and aging power infrastructure continues to pollute.

Comprehensive reforms and continued investment in renewable energy are crucial to breaking the cycle of winter smog and rising health costs. If not, the region risks enduring more seasons of polluted air, leaving residents wondering each morning, “Is it fog, or just another day in the Balkans?”

Contributions from Valentina Dimitrievska in Skopje, Tatyana Kekic in Belgrade and Denitsa Koseva in Sofia.