Pollen Levels in France: 2025 Report & Allergy Protection Tips | Hauts-de-France

The air quality monitoring organization for the Hauts-de-France region, Atmo Hauts-de-France, released its 2025 quality of air report on March 5, 2026, revealing a complex picture of improving, yet still concerning, pollution levels. The report also detailed a particularly significant pollen season, with concentrations reaching the fourth highest levels in the last decade.

The 2025 report confirms a trend of decreasing pollutant levels over recent decades, but notes a slowdown in the rate of improvement compared to 2024. The organization highlighted the health implications of air pollution, stating it is the third leading cause of mortality in France, following alcohol, and tobacco. The Hauts-de-France region, characterized by its density and historical industrial activity, experiences particularly acute effects on human, animal, and plant health.

Alongside the assessment of traditional pollutants, Atmo Hauts-de-France also monitors pollen levels, as one in three French residents suffer from pollen allergies. The 2025 pollen season extended from January to May for trees, followed by herbaceous plants and grasses. Concentrations reached 33,286 grains per cubic meter, placing it as the fourth highest year for pollen counts in the past ten years.

Urticaceae, or nettle family plants, released the most pollen in the region last year, registering 6,421 grains per cubic meter. While not typically allergenic, these plants can cause irritation due to hairs on their leaves and flowers, leading to itchy eyes and sneezing. Higher concentrations of grasses (4,780 grains/m3), which are potent allergens, and Cupressaceae (4,159 grains/m3) were also recorded.

According to Dr. Béatrice Benabes, an allergist and vice-president of Atmo Hauts-de-France, the increasing prevalence of allergies, projected to affect 50% of the population by 2050, is exacerbated by atmospheric pollution. Pollutants like ozone, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide can deform or fracture pollen walls, allowing smaller fragments to penetrate deeper into the respiratory system and potentially increasing their allergenic potential. Pollution also weakens mucous membranes, making individuals more susceptible to pollen.

Atmo Hauts-de-France recommends several preventative measures, including keeping car windows closed, avoiding drying laundry outdoors, and limiting outdoor activities during peak pollen times. Rinsing hair in the evening to remove deposited pollen, airing homes before sunrise and after sunset, and avoiding irritants like tobacco smoke and strong fragrances are also advised.

In April 2025, Atmo Hauts-de-France launched a new pollen index, tracking six pollen types – alder, birch, olive, grasses, ragweed, and mugwort – on a scale ranging from “highly low” to “extremely high” risk. The index provides a real-time assessment of allergy risk levels across the region.