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Most polluted cities Most polluted countries/regions World air quality report summary
2018-2023
Most polluted country and region ranking based on annual average PM2.5 concentration (μg/m³)
2023
World Air Quality Report
NEWSROOM
PM2.5 legend
0-5
Meets WHO guideline
5.1-10
Exceeds by 1 to 2 times
15.1-25
Exceeds by 3 to 5 times
25.1-35
Exceeds by 5 to 7 times
35.1-50
Exceeds by 7 to 10 times
>50.1
Exceeds by over 10 times
Rank | Country/Region | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Bangladesh | 79.9 | 65.8 | 76.9 | 77.1 | 83.3 | 97.1 | 169,356,251 |
| 2 |  Pakistan | 73.7 | 70.9 | 66.8 | 59 | 65.8 | 74.3 | 231,402,117 |
| 3 |  | 54.4 | 53.3 | 58.1 | 51.9 | 58.1 | 72.5 | 1,407,563,842 |
| 4 |  Tajikistan | 49 | 46 | 59.4 | 30.9 | -- | -- | 9,750,064 |
| 5 |  Burkina Faso | 46.6 | 63 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 22,100,683 |
| 6 |  Iraq | 43.8 | 80.1 | 49.7 | -- | 39.6 | -- | 43,533,592 |
| 7 |  United Arab Emirates | 43 | 45.9 | 36 | 29.2 | 38.9 | 49.9 | 9,365,145 |
| 8 |  Nepal | 42.4 | 40.1 | 46 | 39.2 | 44.5 | 54.1 | 30,034,989 |
| 9 |  Egypt | 42.4 | 46.5 | 29.1 | -- | 18 | -- | 109,262,178 |
| 10 |  Democratic Republic of the Congo | 40.8 | 15.5 | -- | -- | 32.1 | -- | 95,894,118 |
| 11 |  Kuwait | 39.9 | 55.8 | 29.7 | 34 | 38.3 | 56 | 4,250,114 |
| 12 |  Bahrain | 39.2 | 66.6 | 49.8 | 39.7 | 46.8 | 59.8 | 1,463,265 |
| 13 |  Qatar | 37.6 | 42.5 | 38.2 | 44.3 | -- | -- | 2,688,235 |
| 14 |  Indonesia | 37.1 | 30.4 | 34.3 | 40.7 | 51.7 | 42 | 273,753,191 |
| 15 |  Rwanda | 36.8 | 44 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13,461,888 |
| 16 |  Zimbabwe | 33.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 15,993,524 |
| 17 |  Ghana | 33.2 | 30.2 | 25.9 | 26.9 | 30.3 | -- | 32,833,031 |
| 18 |  Kyrgyzstan | 33.1 | 31.1 | 50.8 | 43.5 | 33.2 | -- | 6,691,800 |
| 19 |  China | 32.5 | 30.6 | 32.6 | 34.7 | 39.1 | 41.2 | 1,412,360,000 |
| 20 |  Libya | 30.4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6,735,277 |
| 21 |  Laos | 29.6 | 27.6 | 21.5 | 22.4 | 23.1 | -- | 7,275,556 |
| 22 |  Vietnam | 29.6 | 27.2 | 24.7 | 28 | 34.1 | 32.9 | 97,468,029 |
| 23 |  Uzbekistan | 28.6 | 33.5 | 42.8 | 29.9 | 41.2 | 34.3 | 34,915,100 |
| 24 |  Gambia | 28.5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2,639,916 |
| 25 |  Myanmar | 28.2 | 24.3 | 25.9 | 29.4 | 31 | -- | 53,798,084 |
| 26 |  Senegal | 28.2 | 20.4 | -- | 11.2 | -- | -- | 16,876,720 |
| 27 |  Bosnia Herzegovina | 27.5 | 33.6 | 27.8 | 40.6 | 34.6 | 40 | 3,270,943 |
| 28 |  Uganda | 27.3 | 39.6 | 27.6 | 26.1 | 29.1 | 40.8 | 45,853,778 |
| 29 |  Ethiopia | 27 | 31.3 | 23.9 | 14.7 | 20.1 | 27.1 | 120,283,026 |
| 30 |  Saudi Arabia | 26.5 | 41.5 | 32.7 | 23.3 | 22.1 | -- | 35,950,396 |
| 31 |  Armenia | 26.4 | 31.4 | 33.9 | 24.9 | 25.5 | -- | 2,790,974 |
| 32 |  North Macedonia | 25.2 | 25.6 | 25.4 | 30.6 | 32.4 | 35.5 | 2,065,092 |
| 33 |  Zambia | 24.1 | 24.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 19,473,125 |
| 34 |  Cameroon | 24 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 27,198,628 |
| 35 |  Nigeria | 23.9 | 36.9 | 34 | -- | 21.4 | 44.8 | 213,401,323 |
| 36 |  Thailand | 23.3 | 18.1 | 20.2 | 21.4 | 24.3 | 26.4 | 71,601,103 |
| 37 |  Cambodia | 22.8 | 8.3 | 19.8 | 21.1 | 21.1 | 20.1 | 16,589,023 |
| 38 |  | 22.5 | 17.7 | 19.4 | 15.6 | 19.4 | -- | 33,573,874 |
| 39 |  Mongolia | 22.5 | 29.5 | 33.1 | 46.6 | 62 | 58.5 | 3,347,782 |
| 40 |  Kazakhstan | 22.2 | 23 | 31.1 | 21.9 | 23.6 | 29.8 | 19,000,988 |
| 41 |  Montenegro | 21.3 | 15.7 | 35.2 | 26.1 | -- | -- | 619,211 |
| 42 |  Madagascar | 20.6 | 23.7 | 21 | 20 | -- | -- | 28,915,653 |
| 43 |  Serbia | 20.5 | 24.7 | 25.5 | 24.3 | 23.3 | 23.9 | 6,834,326 |
| 44 |  Turkey | 20.3 | 21.1 | 20 | 18.7 | 20.6 | 21.9 | 84,775,404 |
| 45 |  Taiwan | 20.2 | 13.4 | 16.2 | 15 | 17.2 | 18.5 | 23,816,775 |
| 46 |  Mexico | 20.1 | 19.5 | 19.3 | 18.9 | 20 | 20.3 | 126,705,138 |
| 47 |  | 19.9 | 23.4 | 22.7 | 18 | 21.6 | -- | 59,392,255 |
| 48 |  El Salvador | 19.5 | 14.2 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6,314,167 |
| 49 |  Sri Lanka | 19.3 | 20.7 | 17.4 | 22.4 | 25.2 | 32 | 22,156,000 |
| 50 |  South Korea | 19.2 | 18.3 | 19.1 | 19.5 | 24.8 | 24 | 51,744,876 |
| 51 |  Peru | 18.8 | 23.5 | 29.6 | 17.9 | 23.3 | 28 | 33,715,471 |
| 52 |  Azerbaijan | 18.8 | 18.9 | 17.6 | -- | -- | -- | 10,137,750 |
| 53 |  Chile | 18.8 | 22.2 | 21.7 | 19.3 | 22.6 | 24.9 | 19,493,184 |
| 54 |  Guatemala | 18.7 | 18.6 | 19.5 | 19.2 | 20.2 | -- | 17,109,746 |
| 55 |  Palestinian Territory | 18.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3,000,021 |
| 56 |  Israel | 17.8 | 18.8 | 18.7 | 16.9 | 20.8 | 18.6 | 9,364,000 |
| 57 |  Greece | 17.4 | 19 | 19 | 18.4 | 22.5 | -- | 10,641,221 |
| 58 |  Guyana | 17.1 | 12.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 804,567 |
| 59 |  Gabon | 16.9 | 25 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2,341,179 |
| 60 |  Albania | 16.7 | 14.5 | 12.5 | 16 | -- | -- | 2,811,666 |
| 61 |  Ivory Coast | 16.6 | 22.5 | -- | 21.9 | -- | -- | 29,389,150 |
| 62 |  Georgia | 16.4 | 17 | 21 | 20.4 | 20.1 | -- | 3,708,610 |
| 63 |  Togo | 16.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 8,644,829 |
| 64 |  Macao SAR | 16.2 | 15.4 | 17 | 17.8 | 23.5 | 21.2 | 686,607 |
| 65 |  Moldova | 15.7 | 22.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2,615,199 |
| 66 |  Nicaragua | 15.7 | 8.9 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 6,850,540 |
| 67 |  Romania | 15.7 | 17.2 | 15.3 | 15.8 | 18.3 | 18.6 | 19,119,880 |
| 68 |  Hong Kong SAR | 15.6 | 14.5 | 15.9 | 15.4 | 20.3 | 20.2 | 7,413,100 |
| 69 |  Maldives | 15.3 | 10.9 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 521,457 |
| 70 |  Honduras | 15.1 | 10.2 | 11.8 | -- | -- | -- | 10,278,345 |
| 71 |  Italy | 15 | 18.9 | 15.2 | 18.5 | 17.1 | 14.9 | 59,109,668 |
| 72 |  Slovenia | 14.9 | 15.1 | 13.3 | -- | -- | -- | 2,108,079 |
| 73 |  Cyprus | 14.3 | 15.6 | 14.8 | 15.8 | 19.7 | 17.6 | 1,244,188 |
| 74 |  Poland | 14.1 | 16.3 | 19.1 | 16.9 | 18.7 | 22.4 | 37,747,124 |
| 75 |  Colombia | 14.1 | 15.7 | 14.1 | 15.6 | 14.6 | 13.9 | 51,516,562 |
| 76 |  Guinea | 13.9 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 13,531,906 |
| 77 |  Croatia | 13.8 | 23.5 | 25.4 | 21.2 | 19.1 | 22.2 | 3,899,000 |
| 78 |  Algeria | 13.8 | 17.8 | 20 | 20.2 | 21.2 | -- | 44,177,969 |
| 79 |  | 13.5 | 14.9 | 15.6 | 12.8 | 17.6 | 14.6 | 113,880,328 |
| 80 |  Singapore | 13.4 | 13.3 | 13.8 | 11.8 | 19 | 14.8 | 5,453,566 |
| 81 |  Bulgaria | 13.2 | 18.3 | 16.3 | 27.5 | 25.5 | 25.8 | 6,877,743 |
| 82 |  Slovakia | 13.1 | 14.5 | 16 | 15.3 | 16.1 | 18.5 | 5,447,247 |
| 83 |  Brazil | 12.6 | 12.2 | 13.6 | 14.2 | 15.8 | 16.3 | 214,326,223 |
| 84 |  Bolivia | 12.6 | 7.3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 12,079,472 |
| 85 |  Kosovo | 12.1 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 20 | 23.5 | 30.4 | 1,786,038 |
| 86 |  Malta | 12 | 11.7 | 13.5 | 11.8 | 9.4 | 11 | 518,536 |
| 87 |  Hungary | 12 | 12.6 | 15.5 | 14.3 | 14.6 | 16.8 | 9,709,891 |
| 88 |  Uruguay | 11.7 | 11.3 | 14.2 | -- | -- | -- | 3,426,260 |
| 89 |  Czech Republic | 11.5 | 13.4 | 13.9 | 12.3 | 14.4 | 20.2 | 10,505,772 |
| 90 |  Kenya | 10.6 | 11.5 | 14.3 | 14.2 | -- | -- | 53,005,614 |
| 91 |  Suriname | 10.6 | 7 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 612,985 |
| 92 |  Lithuania | 10.4 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 11.7 | 14.5 | 17.5 | 2,800,839 |
| 93 |  | 10.3 | 7.4 | 8.5 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 38,246,108 |
| 94 |  Russia | 10 | 11.2 | 12.3 | 9.3 | 9.9 | 11.4 | 143,449,286 |
| 95 |  Spain | 9.9 | 10.9 | 10.7 | 10.4 | 9.7 | 10.3 | 47,415,750 |
| 96 |  | 9.6 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.8 | 11.4 | 12 | 125,681,593 |
| 97 |  Panama | 9.6 | 9 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 4,351,267 |
| 98 |  Austria | 9.6 | 10.6 | 11.4 | 10.9 | 12.2 | 15 | 8,955,797 |
| 99 |  France | 9.5 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 11.1 | 12.3 | 13.2 | 67,749,632 |
| 100 |  Belgium | 9.4 | 10.8 | 11.5 | 8.9 | 12.5 | 13.5 | 11,592,952 |
| 101 |  Argentina | 9.2 | 7.7 | 8.2 | 14.2 | 14.6 | -- | 45,808,747 |
| 102 |  USA | 9.1 | 8.9 | 10.3 | 9.6 | 9 | 9.1 | 331,893,745 |
| 103 |  Germany | 9 | 11 | 10.6 | 10.1 | 11 | 13 | 83,196,078 |
| 104 |  | 8.9 | 10 | 10.8 | 9 | 10.9 | 11.6 | 8,703,405 |
| 105 |  Luxembourg | 8.9 | 7.4 | 9 | 9 | 9.6 | 11.2 | 640,064 |
| 106 |  Netherlands | 8.7 | 11 | 11.3 | 9.7 | 10.9 | 11.7 | 17,533,044 |
| 107 |  Ukraine | 8.6 | 9.7 | 18.5 | 19.2 | 16.6 | 14 | 43,792,855 |
| 108 |  Belize | 8.3 | 5.6 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 400,031 |
| 109 |  Latvia | 8 | 10.1 | -- | 11.3 | 13.3 | -- | 1,884,490 |
| 110 |  Andorra | 7.9 | 5.4 | 7.3 | 7.4 | -- | -- | 79,034 |
| 111 |  Angola | 7.8 | 8.8 | 11 | 13 | 15.9 | -- | 34,503,774 |
| 112 |  United Kingdom | 7.7 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.3 | 10.5 | 10.8 | 67,326,569 |
| 113 |  Denmark | 7.7 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 9.6 | -- | 5,856,733 |
| 114 |  Anguilla | 7.4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 15,094 |
| 115 |  Ecuador | 7.4 | -- | 8.4 | 7.6 | 8.6 | -- | 17,797,737 |
| 116 |  Liechtenstein | 7.2 | 8.3 | 7.2 | -- | -- | -- | 39,039 |
| 117 |  Jamaica | 7.1 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 2,827,695 |
| 118 |  Portugal | 6.8 | 8.1 | 7.1 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 10,325,147 |
| 119 |  | 6.3 | 7.5 | 8 | 8.6 | 10.6 | 9.5 | 5,033,165 |
| 120 |  Norway | 6.3 | 7 | 7.5 | 5.7 | 6.9 | 7.6 | 5,408,320 |
| 121 |  Costa Rica | 6.1 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 8.2 | 10.4 | -- | 5,153,957 |
| 122 |  Trinidad and Tobago | 5.8 | 5.1 | 7.1 | -- | -- | -- | 1,525,663 |
| 123 |  Bahamas | 5.2 | -- | 5.5 | -- | 3.3 | -- | 407,906 |
| 124 |  Sweden | 5.1 | 6.2 | 6.6 | 5 | 6.6 | 7.4 | 10,415,811 |
| 125 |  Finland | 4.9 | 5 | 5.5 | 5 | 5.6 | 6.6 | 5,541,017 |
| 126 |  Estonia | 4.7 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.2 | 7.2 | 1,330,932 |
| 127 |  Puerto Rico | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.8 | 3.7 | 10.2 | 13.7 | 3,263,584 |
| 128 |  | 4.5 | 4.2 | 5.7 | 7.6 | 8 | 6.8 | 25,688,079 |
| 129 |  | 4.3 | 4.8 | 6.8 | 7 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 5,122,600 |
| 130 |  Bermuda | 4.1 | 3 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 63,867 |
| 131 |  Grenada | 4.1 | 3.8 | 5.5 | -- | -- | -- | 124,610 |
| 132 |  Iceland | 4 | 3.4 | 6.1 | 7.2 | 5.5 | 5 | 372,520 |
| 133 |  Mauritius | 3.5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,266,060 |
| 134 |  French Polynesia | 3.2 | 2.5 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 304,032 |
2023
World Air Quality Report
NEWSROOM
