Street cleanliness in Basel is measured using a cleanliness index derived from video footage captured by cameras on street-sweeping vehicles. The system detects and classifies litter into categories such as cigarette butts, paper, and PET bottles, then combines pollution levels and disturbance factors into a score from 0 to 5. The Grand Council has set a target of at least 4.5 for the city-wide cleanliness index.

In October 2026, 5,057 street sections were monitored, producing 148,382 individual measurements. The minimum cleanliness index was 3.72, the maximum was 5.0, and the average was 4.71. Overall, 86.7 percent of measurements exceeded the required threshold of 4.5, while 13.3 percent fell below it.

The top 5 and bottom 5 streets and districts in terms of cleanliness are detailed in tables 1 and 2. Average cleanliness is only one possible metric for ranking districts, and rankings may differ when using alternative indicators, such as the percentage of measurements exceeding the 4.5 threshold.

Comparing the most recent month with earlier data shows a clear improvement. In January 2024, 67.8 percent of measurements exceeded the 4.5 threshold, and 98.8 percent were rated as good (4.0 or better). By October 2026, those figures had risen to 86.7 percent and 99.9 percent respectively. This upward trend, shown in Figure 1, indicates that overall street cleanliness in Basel is improving over time.