Summary
A report from IQAir indicates that in 2025, Pakistan had the highest levels of air pollution worldwide, with concentrations of harmful fine particles (PM2.5) far exceeding the World Health Organization’s suggested safe levels. The study reviews air quality in over 9,400 cities, revealing most countries did not meet the WHO's air quality standards.
Key Facts
- Pakistan had the highest PM2.5 levels in 2025, 13 times above WHO's safe levels.
- IQAir analyzed air data from 9,446 cities across 143 countries and territories.
- Only 13 countries met the WHO's air quality guideline in 2025, up from 7 the previous year.
- Bangladesh and Tajikistan followed Pakistan as the most polluted countries.
- The U.S. stopped a global pollution monitoring program, affecting data from some countries.
- India’s Loni was the most polluted city in 2025, with high PM2.5 levels.
- Wildfires due to climate change worsened global air quality.
- 75 countries had lower PM2.5 levels in 2025 compared to the previous year.
