Most Polluted Countries 2025

Average (PM2.5) Levels

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Average (PM2.5) Levels 2024

1	Chad	91.8
2	Bangladesh	78
3	Pakistan	73.7
4	DR Congo	58.2
5	India	50.6
6	Tajikistan	46.3
7	Nepal	42.8
8	Uganda	41
9	Rwanda	40.8
10	Burundi	40.3
11	Nigeria	40.1
12	Egypt	39.8
13	Iraq	38.4
14	Ghana	35.8
15	Indonesia	35.5
16	Gambia	35.2
17	United Arab Emirates	33.7
18	Bahrain	31.8
19	Uzbekistan	31.4
20	Qatar	31.3
21	China	31
22	Kuwait	30.2
23	Vietnam	28.7
24	Cameroon	27.6
25	Laos	27.5
26	Turkmenistan	26.5
27	Togo	26
28	Mongolia	25.6
29	Bosnia and Herzegovina	25.3
30	Myanmar	25.2
31	Saudi Arabia	25.1
32	Zimbabwe	24.8
33	Ivory Coast	24.6
34	Armenia	24.4
35	North Macedonia	23.3
36	Senegal	22.3
36	Libya	22.3
38	Ethiopia	22.2
39	Zambia	22
40	Cambodia	21.9
41	Kyrgyzstan	21.1
41	Palestine	21.1
43	Madagascar	20.5
44	Serbia	20.2
45	Thailand	19.8
46	South Africa	18.8
46	Guatemala	18.8
48	Malaysia	18.3
48	Azerbaijan	18.3
50	Montenegro	18
51	Sri Lanka	17.9
52	Macau	17.7
53	Guyana	17.5
53	Taiwan	17.5
55	Mexico	17.4
56	El Salvador	17.3
57	Israel	17.2
58	Peru	17.1
59	South Korea	17
60	Djibouti	16.8
61	Mozambique	16.7
62	Chile	16.6
63	Hong Kong	16.3
64	Paraguay	15.9
65	Algeria	15.4
66	Romania	15.3
66	Turkey	15.3
68	Slovenia	15.2
68	Honduras	15.2
68	Gabon	15.2
71	Kazakhstan	15.1
71	Georgia	15.1
73	Brazil	14.9
74	Nicaragua	14.8
74	Philippines	14.8
74	Poland	14.8
77	Moldova	14.7
78	Albania	14.5
79	Kenya	14.3
80	Italy	14.2
81	Croatia	13.8
81	Colombia	13.8
83	Slovakia	13.6
84	Kosovo	12.9
84	Hungary	12.9
86	Cyprus	12.8
87	Czech Republic	12.7
88	Suriname	12.5
89	Bulgaria	12.4
90	Maldives	12.2
91	Malta	11.7
92	Greece	11.5
92	Uruguay	11.5
94	Singapore	11.4
95	Austria	10.2
96	Panama	10.1
96	Lithuania	10.1
98	Bolivia	10
99	Russia	9.8
100	Ecuador	9.7
101	Latvia	9.2
101	Ukraine	9.2
103	Germany	9
104	Belgium	8.9
104	Netherlands	8.9
106	Argentina	8.7
106	Spain	8.7
108	Japan	8.6
109	Cayman Islands	8.5
110	France	8.1
111	Luxembourg	7.5
112	Anguilla	7.4
112	United Kingdom	7.4
114	Switzerland	7.3
115	Denmark	7.2
116	United States	7.1
117	Costa Rica	7
118	Portugal	6.8
119	Canada	6.7
120	Norway	6.6
121	Liechtenstein	6.5
121	Ireland	6.5
123	Trinidad and Tobago	6.1
124	Andorra	6
125	Sweden	5.3
126	Finland	5.2
127	Estonia	4.6
128	Australia	4.5
129	New Zealand	4.4
130	Iceland	4
131	Grenada	3.2
132	Barbados	3.1
133	Montserrat	2.7
133	Puerto Rico	2.7
135	Bermuda	2.5
135	French Polynesia	2.5
137	Bahamas	2.3

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Introduction
Most Polluted
Source

The State of Air Quality: The World's Most Polluted Countries

Air pollution poses a profound threat to the health and well-being of people worldwide. The annual average concentration of PM2.5, microscopic particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs, contributes significantly to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Although there has been a gradual improvement in air quality in some parts of the world, several countries consistently flout the World Health Organisation's (WHO) exposure recommendation, directly affecting the quality of human life and ecosystems.

Key findings:

Bangladesh, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 83.3 µg/m³, ranks as the most polluted country. This pollution level is nearly eight times the WHO's annual exposure recommendation, clearly posing severe health risks to its population.
Asian countries dominate the list of most polluted countries with Pakistan, Mongolia, Afghanistan, and India standing amongst the top five, signifying a pressing need for adopting cleaner fuels and industrial processes, and improving waste management.
The Middle East does not lag far behind in air pollution levels. The data indicates Bahrain, with an average PM2.5 value of 46.8 µg/m³, to be the most polluted country in this region, followed closely by the United Arab Emirates.
China, once infamous for its polluted cities, has notably improved its air quality over the past decade. However, it still ranks 11th on the list, with a PM2.5 concentration of 39.12 µg/m³.
In contrast, the United States falls on the cleaner end of the spectrum, maintaining an average PM2.5 concentration of 9.04 µg/m³, which is within permissible limits set by WHO.

10 Most Polluted Countries

Ranking as the most polluted country is Bangladesh, with a PM2.5 concentration of 83.30 µg/m³. This value is a staggering sixteen times over the WHO's recommended maximum permissible atmospheric particulate matter, posing an alarming risk to public health.

The second and third positions are held by Pakistan and Mongolia, with PM2.5 concentrations of 65.81 µg/m³ and 62.00 µg/m³, respectively.

Afghanistan and India respectively rank fourth and fifth on this list. Both countries have comparable PM2.5 concentrations, with Afghanistan at 58.80 µg/m³ and India closely tailing at 58.08 µg/m³. The sixth position is taken by Indonesia, with a PM2.5 concentration level of 51.71 µg/m³.

Coming in seventh is Bahrain, the most polluted country in the Middle East, with a PM2.5 concentration of 46.80 µg/m³, which is closely trailed by Nepal at 44.46 µg/m³.

Uzbekistan ranks ninth on the list with a PM2.5 value of 41.20 µg/m³, indicating significant air pollution concerns for the Central Asian nation. Finally, in the tenth position is Iraq, registering a PM2.5 concentration of 39.60 µg/m³.

10 Most Polluted countries (by average PM2.5 concentration):