List of countries by air pollution

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The following list of countries by air pollution sorts the countries of the world according to their average measured concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5) in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). The World Health Organization's recommended limit is 5 micrograms per cubic meter, although there are also various national guideline values, which are often much higher. Air pollution is among the biggest health problems of modern industrial society and is responsible for more than 10 percent of all deaths worldwide (nearly 4.5 million premature deaths in 2019), according to The Lancet. Air pollution can affect nearly every organ and system of the body, negatively affecting nature and humans alike. Air pollution is a particularly big problem in emerging and developing countries, where global environmental standards often cannot be met. The data in this list refers only to outdoor air quality and not indoor air quality, which caused an additional two million premature deaths in 2019.[1]

List (2018−2022)[edit]

All data are valid for the year 2018-2022 and are taken from the IQAir 2022 World Air Quality Ranking[2][3][4][5]

List of Countries/Regions by particulate matter (PM2.5)
in (µg/m³)
Rank Country/Region 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 Population
1  Chad 89.7 75.9 -- -- -- 17,179,740
2  Iraq 80.1 49.7 -- 39.6 -- 43,533,592
3  Pakistan 70.9 66.8 59 65.8 74.3 231,402,117
4  Bahrain 66.6 49.8 39.7 46.8 59.8 1,463,265
5  Bangladesh 65.8 76.9 77.1 83.3 97.1 169,356,251
6  Burkina Faso 63 -- -- -- -- 22,100,683
7  Kuwait 55.8 29.7 34 38.3 56 4,250,114
8  India 53.3 58.1 51.9 58.1 72.5 1,407,563,842
9  Egypt 46.5 29.1 -- 18 -- 109,262,178
10  Tajikistan 46 59.4 30.9 -- -- 9,750,064
11  United Arab Emirates 45.9 36 29.2 38.9 49.9 9,365,145
12  Sudan 44.6 44.1 -- -- -- 45,657,202
13  Rwanda 44 -- -- -- -- 13,461,888
14  Qatar 42.5 38.2 44.3 -- -- 2,688,235
15  Saudi Arabia 41.5 32.7 23.3 22.1 -- 35,950,396
16  Nepal 40.1 46 39.2 44.5 54.1 30,034,989
17  Uganda 39.6 27.6 26.1 29.1 40.8 45,853,778
18  Nigeria 36.9 34 -- 21.4 44.8 213,401,323
19  Bosnia and Herzegovina 33.6 27.8 40.6 34.6 40 3,270,943
20  Uzbekistan 33.5 42.8 29.9 41.2 34.3 34,915,100
21  Iran 32.5 30.3 27.2 24.3 25 87,923,432
22  Armenia 31.4 33.9 24.9 25.5 -- 2,790,974
23  Ethiopia 31.3 23.9 14.7 20.1 27.1 120,283,026
24  Kyrgyzstan 31.1 50.8 43.5 33.2 -- 6,691,800
25  China 30.6 32.6 34.7 39.1 41.2 1,412,360,000
26  Indonesia 30.4 34.3 40.7 51.7 42 273,753,191
27  Ghana 30.2 25.9 26.9 30.3 -- 32,833,031
28  Mongolia 29.5 33.1 46.6 62 58.5 3,347,782
29  Laos 27.6 21.5 22.4 23.1 -- 7,275,556
30  Vietnam 27.2 24.7 28 34.1 32.9 97,468,029
31  North Macedonia 25.6 25.4 30.6 32.4 35.5 2,065,092
32  Gabon 25 -- -- -- -- 2,341,179
33  Serbia 24.7 25.5 24.3 23.3 23.9 6,834,326
34  Zambia 24.6 -- -- -- -- 19,473,125
35  Myanmar 24.3 25.9 29.4 31 -- 53,798,084
36  Madagascar 23.7 21 20 -- -- 28,915,653
37  Croatia 23.5 25.4 21.2 19.1 22.2 3,899,000
38  Peru 23.5 29.6 17.9 23.3 28 33,715,471
39  South Africa 23.4 22.7 18 21.6 -- 59,392,255
40  Kazakhstan 23 31.1 21.9 23.6 29.8 19,000,988
41  Moldova 22.6 -- -- -- -- 2,615,199
42  Ivory Coast 22.5 -- 21.9 -- -- 29,389,150
43  Chile 22.2 21.7 19.3 22.6 24.9 19,493,184
44  Turkmenistan 21.6 20.4 17 -- -- 6,341,855
45  Turkey 21.1 20 18.7 20.6 21.9 84,775,404
46  Sri Lanka 20.7 17.4 22.4 25.2 32 22,156,000
47  Senegal 20.4 -- 11.2 -- -- 16,876,720
48  Syria 20 23 -- 32.2 -- 21,324,367
49  Mexico 19.5 19.3 18.9 20 20.3 126,705,138
50  Greece 19 19 18.4 22.5 -- 10,641,221
51  Azerbaijan 18.9 17.6 -- -- -- 10,137,750
52  Italy 18.9 15.2 18.5 17.1 14.9 59,109,668
53  Israel 18.8 18.7 16.9 20.8 18.6 9,364,000
54  Guatemala 18.6 19.5 19.2 20.2 -- 17,109,746
55  Bulgaria 18.3 16.3 27.5 25.5 25.8 6,877,743
56  South Korea 18.3 19.1 19.5 24.8 24 51,744,876
57  Thailand 18.1 20.2 21.4 24.3 26.4 71,601,103
58  Algeria 17.8 20 20.2 21.2 -- 44,177,969
59  Malaysia 17.7 19.4 15.6 19.4 -- 33,573,874
60  Romania 17.2 15.3 15.8 18.3 18.6 19,119,880
61  Georgia 17 21 20.4 20.1 -- 3,708,610
62  Poland 16.3 19.1 16.9 18.7 22.4 37,747,124
63  Colombia 15.7 14.1 15.6 14.6 13.9 51,516,562
64  Montenegro 15.7 35.2 26.1 -- -- 619,211
65  Cyprus 15.6 14.8 15.8 19.7 17.6 1,244,188
66  Democratic Republic of the Congo 15.5 -- -- 32.1 -- 95,894,118
67  Macau, China 15.4 17 17.8 23.5 21.2 686,607
68  Slovenia 15.1 13.3 -- -- -- 2,108,079
69  Philippines 14.9 15.6 12.8 17.6 14.6 113,880,328
70  Kosovo 14.7 14.7 20 23.5 30.4 1,786,038
71  Slovakia 14.5 16 15.3 16.1 18.5 5,447,247
72  Hong Kong SAR 14.5 15.9 15.4 20.3 20.2 7,413,100
73  Albania 14.5 12.5 16 -- -- 2,811,666
74  El Salvador 14.2 -- -- -- -- 6,314,167
75  Czech Republic 13.4 13.9 12.3 14.4 20.2 10,505,772
76  Taiwan 13.4 16.2 15 17.2 18.5 23,816,775
77  Singapore 13.3 13.8 11.8 19 14.8 5,453,566
78  Lithuania 13.2 13.2 11.7 14.5 17.5 2,800,839
79  Guyana 12.6 -- -- -- -- 804,567
80  Hungary 12.6 15.5 14.3 14.6 16.8 9,709,891
81  Brazil 12.2 13.6 14.2 15.8 16.3 214,326,223
82  Malta 11.7 13.5 11.8 9.4 11 518,536
83  Kenya 11.5 14.3 14.2 -- -- 53,005,614
84  France 11.5 11.4 11.1 12.3 13.2 67,749,632
85  Uruguay 11.3 14.2 -- -- -- 3,426,260
86  Russia 11.2 12.3 9.3 9.9 11.4 143,449,286
87  Netherlands 11 11.3 9.7 10.9 11.7 17,533,044
88  Germany 11 10.6 10.1 11 13 83,196,078
89  Spain 10.9 10.7 10.4 9.7 10.3 47,415,750
90  Maldives 10.9 -- -- -- -- 521,457
91  Belgium 10.8 11.5 8.9 12.5 13.5 11,592,952
92  Austria 10.6 11.4 10.9 12.2 15 8,955,797
93  Honduras 10.2 11.8 -- -- -- 10,278,345
94  Latvia 10.1 -- 11.3 13.3 -- 1,884,490
95  Switzerland 10 10.8 9 10.9 11.6 8,703,405
96  Ukraine 9.7 18.5 19.2 16.6 14 43,792,855
97  Japan 9.1 9.1 9.8 11.4 12 125,681,593
98  Panama 9 -- -- -- -- 4,351,267
99  USA 8.9 10.3 9.6 9 9.1 331,893,745
100  Nicaragua 8.9 -- -- -- -- 6,850,540
101  United Kingdom 8.9 8.8 8.3 10.5 10.8 67,326,569
102  Angola 8.8 11 13 15.9 -- 34,503,774
103  Denmark 8.6 9.6 9.4 9.6 -- 5,856,733
104  Cambodia 8.3 19.8 21.1 25.8 -- 17,652,114
105  Liechtenstein 8.3 7.2 -- -- -- 39,039
106  Portugal 8.1 7.1 9.1 9.3 9.4 10,325,147
107  Costa Rica 7.9 7.8 8.2 10.4 -- 5,153,957
108  Argentina 7.7 8.2 14.2 14.6 -- 45,808,747
109  Ireland 7.5 8 8.6 10.6 9.5 5,033,165
110  Luxembourg 7.4 9 9 9.6 11.2 640,064
111  Canada 7.4 8.5 7.3 7.7 7.9 38,246,108
112  Bolivia 7.3 -- -- -- -- 12,079,472
113  Suriname 7 -- -- -- -- 612,985
114  Norway 7 7.5 5.7 6.9 7.6 5,408,320
115  Sweden 6.2 6.6 5 6.6 7.4 10,415,811
116  Belize 5.6 -- -- -- -- 400,031
117  Andorra 5.4 7.3 7.4 -- -- 79,034
118  Trinidad and Tobago 5.1 7.1 -- -- -- 1,525,663
119  Finland 5 5.5 5 5.6 6.6 5,541,017
120  Estonia 4.9 5.9 5.9 6.2 7.2 1,330,932
121  New Zealand 4.8 6.8 7 7.5 7.7 5,122,600
122  Puerto Rico 4.3 4.8 3.7 10.2 13.7 3,263,584
123  Australia 4.2 5.7 7.6 8 6.8 25,688,079
124  Grenada 3.8 5.5 -- -- -- 124,610
125  New Caledonia 3.5 3.8 3.7 -- -- 271,030
126  Iceland 3.4 6.1 7.2 5.5 5 372,520
127  Bonaire, Saint Eustatius and Saba 3.3 5.1 -- -- -- 26,221
128  Bermuda 3 -- -- -- -- 63,867
129  U.S. Virgin Islands 2.9 4.5 3.7 3.5 -- 105,870
130  French Polynesia 2.5 -- -- -- -- 304,032
131  Guam 1.3 -- -- -- -- 170,534

List (2021)[edit]

All data are valid for the year 2020 and are taken from the Air Quality Life Index (ACLI) of the University of Chicago. In addition to particulate matter pollution, the modeled potential loss of life expectancy of the population due to particulate matter pollution is given.[6]

Rank Country particulate matter (PM2.5)
in (µg/m³)
WHO-Guideline=5
Loss of life expectancy
(years)
1  Bangladesh 76.90 −6.93
2  India 55.80 −4.98
3  Nepal 47.13 −4.13
4  Pakistan 44.17 −3.84
5  Democratic Republic of the Congo 34.20 −2.86
6  Rwanda 32.95 −2.74
7  Burundi 31.76 −2.62
8  China 31.63 −2.61
9  Mongolia 31.47 −2.59
10  Cameroon 31.42 −2.59
11  Qatar 29.19 −2.37
12  Bhutan 28.71 −2.32
13  Equatorial Guinea 28.61 −2.31
14  Guatemala 28.45 −2.30
15  Laos 28.00 −2.25
16  Bolivia 27.92 −2.25
17  Honduras 27.25 −2.18
18  Central African Republic 26.91 −2.15
18  Uganda 26.91 −2.15
20  El Salvador 25.60 −2.02
21  Vietnam 24.37 −1.90
22  Peru 23.88 −1.85
23  Gabon 23.82 −1.84
23  Thailand 23.82 −1.84
25  Bosnia and Herzegovina 23.78 −1.84
26  Nigeria 23.67 −1.83
27  Iraq 23.66 −1.83
28  Saudi Arabia 22.97 −1.76
29  Lesotho 22.94 −1.76
30  Turkey 21.58 −1.62
30  Kosovo 21.58 −1.56
32  Cambodia 20.81 −1.55
33  North Korea 20.64 −1.53
34  North Macedonia 20.34 −1.50
35  South Africa 20.33 −1.53
36  South Korea 20.27 −1.50
37  Syria 19.61 −1.43
38  Serbia 19.37 −1.41
39  Armenia 19.12 −1.38
40  Tajikistan 18.63 −1.34
41  Sri Lanka 18.60 −1.33
42  Bulgaria 17.99 −1.27
43  Egypt 17.90 −1.26
44  Bahrain 17.79 −1.25
45  Jordan 17.71 −1.25
46  Zambia 17.68 −1.24
47  Kenya 17.66 −1.24
48  Angola 17.37 −1.21
49  Kuwait 17.34 −1.21
50  Iran 17.17 −1.19
51  Indonesia 16.99 −1.17
52  Benin 16.83 −1.16
53  Ethiopia 16.71 −1.15
54  Djibouti 16.65 −1.14
55  Tanzania 16.61 −1.14
56  Lebanon 16.38 −1.12
57  Philippines 16.36 −1.11
58  Paraguay 16.33 −1.11
59  Afghanistan 16.23 −1.10
60  Mexico 16.16 −1.10
61  Montenegro 15.93 −1.07
62  Ecuador 15.75 −1.05
63  United Arab Emirates 15.44 −1.02
64  Togo 15.00 −0.98
65  South Sudan 14.98 −0.98
66  Poland 14.97 −0.98
67  Colombia 14.96 −0.98
68  Kyrgyzstan 14.92 −0.97
69  Malawi 14.80 −0.96
70  Taiwan 14.53 −0.93
71  Georgia 14.29 −0.91
72  Chile 14.24 −0.91
73  Kazakhstan 14.14 −0.90
74  Romania 13.80 −0.86
75  Croatia 13.75 −0.86
76  Ukraine 13.74 −0.86
77  Nicaragua 13.32 −0.82
78  Ghana 13.10 −0.79
79  Slovakia 12.88 −0.77
80  Eswatini 12.83 −0.77
81  Hungary 12.81 −0.77
82  Slovenia 12.80 −0.76
83  Moldova 12.76 −0.76
84  Italy 12.69 −0.75
85  Albania 12.68 −0.75
86  Malaysia 12.65 −0.75
87  Israel 12.43 −0.73
88  Palestine 12.39 −0.72
89  Cyprus 12.33 −0.72
90  Northern Cyprus 12.29 −0.71
91  Jamaica 12.08 −0.69
92  Maldives 12.00 −0.69
93  Czech Republic 11.87 −0.67
94  Belize 11.78 −0.66
95  Sierra Leone 11.73 −0.66
96  Eritrea 11.68 −0.65
96  Zimbabwe 11.68 −0.65
98  Azerbaijan 11.66 −0.65
99  Argentina 11.57 −0.65
100  Venezuela 11.45 −0.64
101  Chad 11.44 −0.63
102  Botswana 11.35 −0.62
103  Greece 11.18 −0.61
104  Latvia 11.16 −0.60
105  Oman 11.11 −0.60
106  Belarus 11.07 −0.60
107  Costa Rica 11.06 −0.59
108  Singapore 11.06 −0.59
109  Vatican City 10.90 −0.58
110  Papua New Guinea 10.80 −0.57
111  San Marino 10.70 −0.56
112  Liberia 10.67 −0.56
113  Guinea 10.63 −0.55
114  Namibia 10.59 −0.55
115  Ivory Coast 10.42 −0.53
116  Japan 10.28 −0.52
116  Mozambique 10.28 −0.52
118  Lithuania 10.06 −0.50
119  Niger 10.04 −0.50
120  Russia 9.98 −0.49
121  Brazil 9.95 −0.50
122  Turkmenistan 9.89 −0.48
123  Sudan 9.70 −0.46
124  Austria 9.65 −0.46
125  Monaco 9.50 −0.40
126  Haiti 8.72 −0.37
127  Gibraltar 8.70 −0.36
128  Liechtenstein 8.55 −0.35
129  Tunisia 8.42 −0.34
130  Guinea-Bissau 8.23 −0.32
131  Timor-Leste 8.04 −0.30
132  Germany 8.02 −0.30
133  Belgium 7.91 −0.28
134  Switzerland 7.84 −0.28
135  Netherlands 7.82 −0.28
136  Panama 7.77 −0.27
137  Uruguay 7.76 −0.27
138  Burkina Faso 7.62 −0.26
139  Morocco 7.43 −0.25
140  United Kingdom 7.24 −0.22
141  France 7.20 −0.22
142  Luxembourg 7.19 −0.21
143  United States 7.05 −0.21
143  Madagascar 7.05 −0.23
145  Somalia 6.96 −0.20
146  Denmark 6.94 −0.19
147  Gambia 6.78 −0.17
148  Spain 6.69 −0.18
149  Libya 6.67 −0.17
150  Dominican Republic 6.66 −0.19
151  Malta 6.50 −0.15
152  Andorra 6.39 −0.14
153  Cuba 6.07 −0.11
154  Canada 5.61 −0.08
155  Guyana 5.55 −0.06
156  Brunei 5.54 −0.05
157  Mali 5.51 −0.07
158  Algeria 5.47 −0.06
158  Solomon Islands 5.47 −0.05
160  Comoros 5.45 −0.04
161  Senegal 5.30 −0.07
162  Estonia 5.16 −0.05
163  Portugal 5.02 −0.03
164  Suriname 4.90 −0.02
165  Australia 4.66 −0.07
166  Ireland 4.56 0.00
167  Sweden 4.56 −0.02
168  Finland 4.10 0.00
169  Norway 3.79 0.00
170  Mauritius 3.61 0.00
171  Trinidad and Tobago 3.43 0.00
172  Mauritania 3.20 0.00
173  Vanuatu 3.07 0.00
174  Seychelles 3.06 0.00
175  Bahamas 2.85 0.00
176  New Zealand 2.67 0.00
177  Puerto Rico 2.25 0.00
178  Iceland 2.11 0.00
179  Dominica 2.04 0.00
180  Grenada 1.92 0.00
181  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 1.91 0.00
182  Barbados 1.86 0.00
183  Saint Lucia 1.78 0.00
184  Palau 1.77 0.00
185  Cape Verde 1.76 0.00
186  Antigua and Barbuda 1.75 0.00
187  Fiji 1.52 0.00
188  Tuvalu 1.26 0.00
189  Tonga 1.03 0.00
190  Nauru 1.00 0.00
191  Greenland 0.90 0.00
192  Samoa 0.84 0.00
193  Kiribati 0.81 0.00
194  Federated States of Micronesia 0.60 0.00
195  Marshall Islands 0.56 0.00

References[edit]

  1. ^ Ritchie, Hannah; Roser, Max (2013-11-16). "Indoor Air Pollution". Our World in Data.
  2. ^ https://www.iqair.com/world-most-polluted-countries
  3. ^ "The Air Quality Life Index Linares (AQLI)". AQLI. Retrieved 2023-03-08.
  4. ^ "World's Most Polluted Countries in 2022 - PM2.5 Ranking | IQAir". www.iqair.com. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  5. ^ ."Most Polluted Countries 2023". worldpopulationreview.com. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  6. ^ "The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI)". AQLI. Retrieved 2023-03-08.

External links[edit]