In 2024, only seven countries met WHO air quality standards

During 2024, only seven countries met the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards.

This is evidenced by data collected by the Swiss air quality monitoring company IQAir.

Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia and Iceland were included in the list of countries with safe air.

Instead, Chad and Bangladesh became the most polluted countries in the world, with average smog levels more than 15 times higher than WHO recommendations.

In Chad, the average concentration of fine, hazardous particles in the air, known as PM2.5, reached 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter last year. The WHO recommends not exceeding a level of 5 mg/cubic meter.

There are significant data gaps around the world, especially in Asia and Africa, that prevent a complete picture of global air quality. Many developing countries have relied on air quality sensors installed on US embassy and consulate buildings.

However, the US State Department recently stopped monitoring air quality near diplomatic missions around the world, citing budget constraints, and removed over 17 years of data from the official US government air quality monitoring website.

For this yearʼs report, IQAir researchers analyzed data from more than 40 000 air quality monitoring stations at 8 954 locations in 138 countries, territories, and regions.

According to the WHO, air pollution is responsible for the premature death of more than 4 million people worldwide each year.

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