Air pollution is one of the most pressing environmental health risks facing the world today, with fine particulate matter (PM2.5) posing serious threats to respiratory and cardiovascular health.
While air quality varies from region to region, some countries experience alarmingly high levels of pollution, far exceeding the World Health Organization’s recommended PM2.5 guideline of 0 to 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
In this blog post, we take a closer look at the 20 countries with the worst air pollution, based on their annual average PM2.5 concentrations.
From South Asia to parts of Africa and the Middle East, these nations are battling severe air quality challenges that demand urgent attention and sustainable solutions.
1: Bangladesh
Ranking as the country with the worst air pollution is Bangladesh, registering an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 79.9.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter undetectable without a microscope, and this level significantly surpasses the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, exceeding it by over 10 times.
2: Pakistan
Pakistan holds the second position for worst air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 73.7.
This microscopic particulate matter concentration of 73.7 is far above the WHO guideline of 0-5, exceeding the recommended limit by more than 10 times.
3: India
India ranks third among countries with the worst air pollution, showing an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 54.4.
This level of the tiny particulate matter known as PM2.5 is over 10 times higher than the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5.
4: Tajikistan
Tajikistan is ranked fourth for air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration recorded at 49.0.
This concentration of the fine particulate matter, PM2.5, significantly exceeds the WHO guideline of 0-5, being 7 to 10 times higher than the recommended level.
5: Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso comes in fifth place for worst air pollution, reporting an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 46.6.
This level of microscopic PM2.5 is substantially above the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, exceeding it by 7 to 10 times.
6: Iraq
Iraq ranks sixth for air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 43.8. This concentration of PM2.5, which is fine particulate matter, significantly surpasses the WHO guideline of 0-5, measuring 7 to 10 times higher than recommended levels.
7: United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates is ranked seventh among countries with the worst air pollution, showing an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 43.0.
This level of the tiny PM2.5 particles greatly exceeds the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, being 7 to 10 times higher.
8: Nepal
Nepal holds the eighth position for air pollution, registering an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 42.4.
This level of microscopic particulate matter, PM2.5, is far above the WHO guideline of 0-5, measuring 7 to 10 times the recommended concentration.
9: Egypt
Egypt shares the eighth rank for air pollution with Nepal, also recording an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 42.4.
This concentration of the fine PM2.5 particles is significantly higher than the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, exceeding it by 7 to 10 times.
10: Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is ranked tenth for worst air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 40.8.
This level of PM2.5, which is undetectable without a microscope, is well above the WHO guideline of 0-5, exceeding it by 7 to 10 times.
11: Kuwait
Kuwait ranks eleventh for air pollution, reporting an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 39.9. This concentration of the tiny particulate matter known as PM2.5 is substantially higher than the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, being 7 to 10 times greater.
12: Bahrain
Bahrain holds the twelfth position for air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration recorded at 39.2.
This level of microscopic PM2.5 particles significantly surpasses the WHO guideline of 0-5, measuring 7 to 10 times the recommended concentration.
13: Qatar
Qatar is ranked thirteenth for air pollution, showing an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 37.6.
This concentration of fine PM2.5 is far above the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, exceeding it by 7 to 10 times.
14: Indonesia
Indonesia comes in fourteenth place for air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 37.1.
This level of PM2.5, which is minute particulate matter, is well above the WHO guideline of 0-5, being 7 to 10 times higher than recommended.
15: Rwanda
Rwanda ranks fifteenth among countries with the worst air pollution, reporting an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 36.8.
This concentration of microscopic PM2.5 significantly exceeds the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, surpassing it by 7 to 10 times.
16: Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe holds the sixteenth position for air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 33.3.
This level of PM2.5, which is fine particulate matter, is substantially above the WHO guideline of 0-5, measuring 5 to 7 times higher than recommended levels.
17: Ghana
Ghana is ranked seventeenth for air pollution, showing an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 33.2.
This concentration of the tiny PM2.5 particles significantly surpasses the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, exceeding it by 5 to 7 times.
18: Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan comes in eighteenth place for air pollution, reporting an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 33.1.
This level of microscopic particulate matter, PM2.5, is well above the WHO guideline of 0-5, being 5 to 7 times higher than recommended.
19: China
China ranks nineteenth among countries with the worst air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 32.5.
This concentration of fine PM2.5 is significantly higher than the World Health Organization’s guideline of 0 to 5, exceeding it by 5 to 7 times.
20: Libya
Libya holds the twentieth position for air pollution, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration recorded at 30.4.
This level of PM2.5, which is microscopic particulate matter, is substantially above the WHO guideline of 0-5, measuring 5 to 7 times the recommended concentration.
Alicia Richards