Pakistan is the most polluted country, with PM2.5 levels 14 times the WHO limit, followed by India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso|Jean-Etienne|CC BY-SA 2.0
A new report by IQAir found that only seven countries—Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand—meet the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality standard for PM2.5 pollution.
What are PM 2.5 levels?
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter—about 30 times smaller than a human hair. These tiny particles come from sources like vehicle exhaust, industrial emissions, wildfires, and burning fossil fuels. Inhaling them causes several health problems and deaths.
Based on data from over 30,000 monitoring stations, the report highlights worsening pollution due to economic activity and wildfire smoke.
Most polluted countries
Pakistan is the most polluted country, with PM2.5 levels 14 times higher than the WHO standard, followed by India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso.
Once known for clean air, Canada saw record PM2.5 pollution due to wildfires. China’s pollution also rose by 6.5% last year.
Air pollution kills 7 million people annually, exceeding deaths from AIDS and malaria. Experts urge cleaner energy and urban planning to reduce emissions.