New report reveals that nearly every country in the world has air dirtier than what is recommended by doctors for breathing, with only seven countries meeting WHO’s guidelines for tiny toxic particles which are also known as PM2.5.
IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, found that New Zealand, Australia, Estonia, Iceland, and some other small island states are the only ones which have no more than 5 micrograms of tiny toxic particles per cubic meter (μg/m³).
IQAir also named the most polluted countries in the world with Bangladesh, Chad, Pakistan, India, and Congo being among the top five. In these countries, the PM2.5 levels are 10 times higher than the guidelines in 2024. Chad has about 18 times more PM2.5 levels than average levels in the guidelines.
Doctors say that there are no set levels of PM2.5 to determine if it's safe or not because once they enter the bloodstream, they can damage our organs, which can lead to ultimate death. The number one leading cause of death in the world is high blood pressure, while the second is dirty air or air pollution. The CEO of IQAir says that air pollution takes two to three decades to show its effects, which can impact our health dangerously. That's the reason most people don't take dirty air seriously and when they see the consequences, it's too late.
The report also showed the PM2.5 improvements seen in some countries, with some even improving in PM2.5 standards by 7% in 2023 to 17% in 2024. India showed a 7% improvement in PM2.5 levels between 2023 and 2024 and it is home to six of the ten dirtiest cities in the world. China also saw some improvement in its air quality, and the air quality in Beijing became the same as Sarajevo.
Here's the full list:
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IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, found that New Zealand, Australia, Estonia, Iceland, and some other small island states are the only ones which have no more than 5 micrograms of tiny toxic particles per cubic meter (μg/m³).
IQAir also named the most polluted countries in the world with Bangladesh, Chad, Pakistan, India, and Congo being among the top five. In these countries, the PM2.5 levels are 10 times higher than the guidelines in 2024. Chad has about 18 times more PM2.5 levels than average levels in the guidelines.
Doctors say that there are no set levels of PM2.5 to determine if it's safe or not because once they enter the bloodstream, they can damage our organs, which can lead to ultimate death. The number one leading cause of death in the world is high blood pressure, while the second is dirty air or air pollution. The CEO of IQAir says that air pollution takes two to three decades to show its effects, which can impact our health dangerously. That's the reason most people don't take dirty air seriously and when they see the consequences, it's too late.
The report also showed the PM2.5 improvements seen in some countries, with some even improving in PM2.5 standards by 7% in 2023 to 17% in 2024. India showed a 7% improvement in PM2.5 levels between 2023 and 2024 and it is home to six of the ten dirtiest cities in the world. China also saw some improvement in its air quality, and the air quality in Beijing became the same as Sarajevo.
Here's the full list:
| Rank | Country/Region | 2024 PM2.5 (μg/m³) | 2023 PM2.5 (μg/m³) | 2022 PM2.5 (μg/m³) | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad | 91.8 | -- | 89.7 | 17,179,740 |
| 2 | Bangladesh | 78 | 79.9 | 65.8 | 169,356,251 |
| 3 | Pakistan | 73.7 | 73.7 | 70.9 | 231,402,117 |
| 4 | DR Congo | 58.2 | 40.8 | 15.5 | 95,894,118 |
| 5 | India | 50.6 | 54.4 | 53.3 | 1,407,563,842 |
| 6 | Tajikistan | 46.3 | 49 | 46 | 9,750,064 |
| 7 | Nepal | 42.8 | 42.4 | 40.1 | 30,034,989 |
| 8 | Uganda | 41 | 27.3 | 39.6 | 45,853,778 |
| 9 | Rwanda | 40.8 | 36.8 | 44 | 13,461,888 |
| 10 | Burundi | 40.3 | -- | -- | 14,047,800 |
| 11 | Nigeria | 40.1 | 23.9 | 36.9 | 213,401,323 |
| 12 | Egypt | 39.8 | 42.4 | 46.5 | 109,262,178 |
| 13 | Iraq | 38.4 | 43.8 | 80.1 | 43,533,592 |
| 14 | Ghana | 35.8 | 33.2 | 30.2 | 32,833,031 |
| 15 | Indonesia | 35.5 | 37.1 | 30.4 | 273,753,191 |
| 16 | Gambia | 35.2 | 28.5 | -- | 2,639,916 |
| 17 | United Arab Emirates | 33.7 | 43 | 45.9 | 9,365,145 |
| 18 | Bahrain | 31.8 | 39.2 | 66.6 | 1,463,265 |
| 19 | Uzbekistan | 31.4 | 28.6 | 33.5 | 34,915,100 |
| 20 | Qatar | 31.3 | 37.6 | 42.5 | 2,688,235 |
| 21 | China | 31 | 32.5 | 30.6 | 1,412,360,000 |
| 22 | Kuwait | 30.2 | 39.9 | 55.8 | 4,250,114 |
| 23 | Vietnam | 28.7 | 29.6 | 27.2 | 97,468,029 |
| 24 | Cameroon | 27.6 | 24 | -- | 27,198,628 |
| 25 | Laos | 27.5 | 29.6 | 27.6 | 7,275,556 |
| 26 | Turkmenistan | 26.5 | -- | 21.6 | 6,341,855 |
| 27 | Togo | 26 | 16.3 | -- | 8,644,829 |
| 28 | Mongolia | 25.6 | 22.5 | 29.5 | 3,347,782 |
| 29 | Bosnia Herzegovina | 25.3 | 27.5 | 33.6 | 3,270,943 |
| 30 | Myanmar | 25.2 | 28.2 | 24.3 | 53,798,084 |
| 31 | Saudi Arabia | 25.1 | 26.5 | 41.5 | 35,950,396 |
| 32 | Zimbabwe | 24.8 | 33.3 | -- | 15,993,524 |
| 33 | Ivory Coast | 24.6 | 16.6 | 22.5 | 29,389,150 |
| 34 | Armenia | 24.4 | 26.4 | 31.4 | 2,790,974 |
| 35 | North Macedonia | 23.3 | 25.2 | 25.6 | 2,065,092 |
| 36 | Libya | 22.3 | 30.4 | -- | 6,735,277 |
| 37 | Senegal | 22.3 | 28.2 | 20.4 | 16,876,720 |
| 38 | Ethiopia | 22.2 | 27 | 31.3 | 120,283,026 |
| 39 | Zambia | 22 | 24.1 | 24.6 | 19,473,125 |
| 40 | Cambodia | 21.9 | 22.8 | 8.3 | 16,589,023 |
| 41 | Kyrgyzstan | 21.1 | 33.1 | 31.1 | 6,691,800 |
| 42 | Palestine | 21.1 | 18.6 | -- | 3,000,021 |
| 43 | Madagascar | 20.5 | 20.6 | 23.7 | 28,915,653 |
| 44 | Serbia | 20.2 | 20.5 | 24.7 | 6,834,326 |
| 45 | Thailand | 19.8 | 23.3 | 18.1 | 71,601,103 |
| 46 | Guatemala | 18.8 | 18.7 | 18.6 | 17,109,746 |
| 47 | South Africa | 18.8 | 19.9 | 23.4 | 59,392,255 |
| 48 | Malaysia | 18.3 | 22.5 | 17.7 | 33,573,874 |
| 49 | Azerbaijan | 18.3 | 18.8 | 18.9 | 10,137,750 |
| 50 | Montenegro | 18 | 21.3 | 15.7 | 619,211 |
| 51 | Sri Lanka | 17.9 | 19.3 | 20.7 | 22,156,000 |
| 52 | Macao SAR | 17.7 | 16.2 | 15.4 | 686,607 |
| 53 | Guyana | 17.5 | 17.1 | 12.6 | 804,567 |
| 54 | Taiwan | 17.5 | 20.2 | 13.4 | 23,816,775 |
| 55 | Mexico | 17.4 | 20.1 | 19.5 | 126,705,138 |
| 56 | El Salvador | 17.3 | 19.5 | 14.2 | 6,314,167 |
| 57 | Israel | 17.2 | 17.8 | 18.8 | 9,364,000 |
| 58 | Peru | 17.1 | 18.8 | 23.5 | 33,715,471 |
| 59 | South Korea | 17 | 19.2 | 18.3 | 51,744,876 |
| 60 | Djibouti | 16.8 | -- | -- | 1,168,720 |
| 61 | Mozambique | 16.7 | -- | -- | 34,631,800 |
| 62 | Chile | 16.6 | 18.8 | 22.2 | 19,493,184 |
| 63 | Hong Kong SAR | 16.3 | 15.6 | 14.5 | 7,413,100 |
| 64 | Paraguay | 15.9 | -- | -- | 6,929,150 |
| 65 | Algeria | 15.4 | 13.8 | 17.8 | 44,177,969 |
| 66 | Romania | 15.3 | 15.7 | 17.2 | 19,119,880 |
| 67 | Turkey | 15.3 | 20.3 | 21.1 | 84,775,404 |
| 68 | Slovenia | 15.2 | 14.9 | 15.1 | 2,108,079 |
| 69 | Honduras | 15.2 | 15.1 | 10.2 | 10,278,345 |
| 70 | Gabon | 15.2 | 16.9 | 25 | 2,341,179 |
| 71 | Kazakhstan | 15.1 | 22.2 | 23 | 19,000,988 |
| 72 | Georgia | 15.1 | 16.4 | 17 | 3,708,610 |
| 73 | Brazil | 14.9 | 12.6 | 12.2 | 214,326,223 |
| 74 | Philippines | 14.8 | 13.5 | 14.9 | 113,880,328 |
| 75 | Poland | 14.8 | 14.1 | 16.3 | 37,747,124 |
| 76 | Nicaragua | 14.8 | 15.7 | 8.9 | 6,850,540 |
| 77 | Moldova | 14.7 | 15.7 | 22.6 | 2,615,199 |
| 78 | Albania | 14.5 | 16.7 | 14.5 | 2,811,666 |
| 79 | Kenya | 14.3 | 10.6 | 11.5 | 53,005,614 |
| 80 | Italy | 14.2 | 15 | 18.9 | 59,109,668 |
| 81 | Croatia | 13.8 | 13.8 | 23.5 | 3,899,000 |
| 82 | Colombia | 13.8 | 14.1 | 15.7 | 51,516,562 |
| 83 | Slovakia | 13.6 | 13.1 | 14.5 | 5,447,247 |
| 84 | Hungary | 12.9 | 12 | 12.6 | 9,709,891 |
| 85 | Kosovo | 12.9 | 12.1 | 14.7 | 1,786,038 |
| 86 | Cyprus | 12.8 | 14.3 | 15.6 | 1,244,188 |
| 87 | Czech Republic | 12.7 | 11.5 | 13.4 | 10,505,772 |
| 88 | Suriname | 12.5 | 10.6 | 7 | 612,985 |
| 89 | Bulgaria | 12.4 | 13.2 | 18.3 | 6,877,743 |
| 90 | Maldives | 12.2 | 15.3 | 10.9 | 521,457 |
| 91 | Malta | 11.7 | 12 | 11.7 | 518,536 |
| 92 | Greece | 11.5 | 17.4 | 19 | 10,641,221 |
| 93 | Uruguay | 11.5 | 11.7 | 11.3 | 3,426,260 |
| 94 | Singapore | 11.4 | 13.4 | 13.3 | 5,453,566 |
| 95 | Austria | 10.2 | 9.6 | 10.6 | 8,955,797 |
| 96 | Lithuania | 10.1 | 10.4 | 13.2 | 2,800,839 |
| 97 | Panama | 10.1 | 9.6 | 9 | 4,351,267 |
| 98 | Bolivia | 10 | 12.6 | 7.3 | 12,079,472 |
| 99 | Russia | 9.8 | 10 | 11.2 | 143,449,286 |
| 100 | Ecuador | 9.7 | 7.4 | -- | 17,797,737 |
| 101 | Ukraine | 9.2 | 8.6 | 9.7 | 43,792,855 |
| 102 | Latvia | 9.2 | 8 | 10.1 | 1,884,490 |
| 103 | Germany | 9 | 9 | 11 | 83,196,078 |
| 104 | Netherlands | 8.9 | 8.7 | 11 | 17,533,044 |
| 105 | Belgium | 8.9 | 9.4 | 10.8 | 11,592,952 |
| 106 | Argentina | 8.7 | 9.2 | 7.7 | 45,808,747 |
| 107 | Spain | 8.7 | 9.9 | 10.9 | 47,415,750 |
| 108 | Japan | 8.6 | 9.6 | 9.1 | 125,681,593 |
| 109 | Cayman Islands | 8.5 | -- | -- | 74,457 |
| 110 | France | 8.1 | 9.5 | 11.5 | 67,749,632 |
| 111 | Luxembourg | 7.5 | 8.9 | 7.4 | 640,064 |
| 112 | Anguilla | 7.4 | 7.4 | -- | 15,094 |
| 113 | United Kingdom | 7.4 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 67,326,569 |
| 114 | Switzerland | 7.3 | 8.9 | 10 | 8,703,405 |
| 115 | Denmark | 7.2 | 7.7 | 8.6 | 5,856,733 |
| 116 | USA | 7.1 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 331,893,745 |
| 117 | Costa Rica | 7 | 6.1 | 7.9 | 5,153,957 |
| 118 | Portugal | 6.8 | 6.8 | 8.1 | 10,325,147 |
| 119 | Canada | 6.7 | 10.3 | 7.4 | 38,246,108 |
| 120 | Norway | 6.6 | 6.3 | 7 | 5,408,320 |
| 121 | Liechtenstein | 6.5 | 7.2 | 8.3 | 39,039 |
| 122 | Ireland | 6.5 | 6.3 | 7.5 | 5,033,165 |
| 123 | Trinidad and Tobago | 6.1 | 5.8 | 5.1 | 1,525,663 |
| 124 | Andorra | 6 | 7.9 | 5.4 | 79,034 |
| 125 | Sweden | 5.3 | 5.1 | 6.2 | 10,415,811 |
| 126 | Finland | 5.2 | 4.9 | 5 | 5,541,017 |
| 127 | Estonia | 4.6 | 4.7 | 4.9 | 1,330,932 |
| 128 | Australia | 4.5 | 4.5 | 4.2 | 25,688,079 |
| 129 | New Zealand | 4.4 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 5,122,600 |
| 130 | Iceland | 4 | 4 | 3.4 | 372,520 |
| 131 | Grenada | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.8 | 124,610 |
| 132 | Barbados | 3.1 | -- | -- | 282,467 |
| 133 | Montserrat | 2.7 | -- | -- | 4,389 |
| 134 | Puerto Rico | 2.7 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 3,263,584 |
| 135 | U.S. Virgin Islands | 2.6 | -- | 2.9 | 105,870 |
| 136 | French Polynesia | 2.5 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 304,032 |
| 137 | Bermuda | 2.5 | 4.1 | 3 | 63,867 |
| 138 | Bahamas | 2.3 | 5.2 | -- | 407,906 |
| Note: | 0-5: Meets WHO guideline |
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