Pakistan has been ranked the third most polluted country globally, following Bangladesh and Chad, as highlighted in air quality data released on Tuesday. The report revealed that only seven nations met the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards last year.
Chad and Bangladesh topped the pollution rankings in 2024, with their average smog levels exceeding WHO guidelines by more than 15 times, as reported by Swiss air quality monitoring company IQAir.
Meanwhile, only a handful of countries, including Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia, and Iceland, managed to achieve WHO-recommended air quality levels.
The global picture remains incomplete due to significant data gaps, particularly in Asia and Africa. Many developing nations have relied on air quality sensors installed at U.S. embassies and consulates to measure pollution levels effectively.
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Chad, excluded from IQAir’s 2023 list due to data issues, had also been ranked the most polluted country in 2022. Its air quality is severely impacted by Sahara dust and uncontrolled agricultural burning, with average PM2.5 concentrations reaching 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/cu m) last year—slightly higher than the preceding year. For context, WHO guidelines recommend maintaining PM2.5 levels below 5 mg/cu m, a threshold achieved by only 17% of cities worldwide in 2024.
India ranked fifth in air pollution after Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. While India recorded a 7% drop in PM2.5 levels to 50.6 mg/cu m in 2024, it still accounted for 12 of the 20 most polluted cities globally. Byrnihat, an industrial hub in northeastern India, topped the list with an alarming PM2.5 average of 128 mg/cu m.
