2023 World Air Quality Report: Know about most polluted countries in world

The IQAir’s 2023 World Air Quality Report, analyzing data from 134 countries and regions, underscores severe global impact of air pollution

By Ground report 19 Mar 2024

New Update

2023 World Air Quality Report: Know about most polluted countries in world

The IQAir’s 2023 World Air Quality Report, analyzing data from 134 countries and regions, underscores the severe global impact of air pollution, causing an estimated seven million premature deaths annually. India, ranked as the third most polluted country globally, faced escalating air quality challenges in 2023, with an annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 µg/m³, exceeding recommended WHO limits by more than tenfold.

The 6th Annual World Air Quality Report has highlighted the persistent challenge of air pollution and its uneven impact across the globe. The comprehensive study, which analyzed data from over 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries, territories, and regions, underscores the stark disparities in air quality.

India's air pollution worsens slightly

According to the 2023 World Air Quality Report, India continues to face severe air pollution challenges, ranking as the third most polluted country globally. The annual average PM2.5 concentration in 2023 increased to 54.4 µg/m³, a slight rise from 53.3 µg/m³ in 2022. The capital, New Delhi, saw a significant spike in pollution levels, with a 10% increase in PM2.5, peaking at a monthly average of 255 µg/m³ in November.

The report estimates that approximately 1.36 billion people in India are exposed to PM2.5 levels that exceed the World Health Organization’s recommended annual guideline of 5 µg/m³. Moreover, nearly 96% of the population experiences PM2.5 concentrations more than seven times higher than the guideline. Over two-thirds of Indian cities reported annual averages above 35 µg/m³.

As per the report, the northern regions, including Delhi, face multiple pollution sources such as crop burning, vehicle emissions, coal and waste burning, and biomass used for heating and cooking. Emergency-level air quality days are a regular occurrence, often exacerbated by crop-burning practices in both India and Pakistan. In response, Indian scientists are exploring cloud seeding as a potential solution to clear the smog.

The World Air Quality Report further mentioned that vehicle emissions contribute to 40% of PM2.5 emissions in the capital. To combat this, Delhi has banned older vehicles, resulting in a 35% reduction in traffic since late 2018. Additionally, a significant policy change came into effect on January 1, 2023, with a ban on coal burning in the National Capital Region (NCR), which includes Delhi and surrounding districts. The ban, aimed at commercial and industrial entities, is enforced with substantial fines for violations.

Despite having one of the most extensive air quality monitoring networks in the region, with data contributed from 256 cities, India’s air quality crisis persists. The majority of the region’s most polluted cities are in India, with 13 out of the top 15 polluted cities located within the country.

Five most polluted countries in 2023

Rank	Country	PM2.5 Level (µg/m3)	Exceeds WHO Guideline
1	Bangladesh	79.9	More than 15 times
2	Pakistan	73.7	More than 14 times
3	India	54.5	More than 10 times
4	Tajikistan	49.0	More than 9 times
5	Burkina Faso	46.6	More than 9 times

_{PM2.5 levels are measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m3). The WHO PM2.5 annual guideline is the standard used for comparison}

The report’s key findings indicate that only seven countries, including Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand, met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual PM2.5 guideline of an annual average of 5 µg/m³ or less. In stark contrast, the most polluted countries of 2023—Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan, and Burkina Faso—exhibited PM2.5 concentrations far exceeding the WHO’s recommended levels, with Bangladesh’s average of 79.9 µg/m³ surpassing the guideline by over 15 times.

Most polluted countries in 2023 ranking

Rank	Country	Emissions (tonnes per capita)
1	Bangladesh	79.9
2	Pakistan	73.7
3	India	54.4
4	Tajikistan	49.0
5	Burkina Faso	46.6
6	Iraq	43.8
7	United Arab Emirates	43.0
8	Nepal	42.4
9	Egypt	42.4
10	Dem. Rep. of the Congo	40.8
11	Kuwait	39.9
12	Bahrain	39.2
13	Qatar	37.6
14	Indonesia	37.1
15	Rwanda	36.8
16	Zimbabwe	33.3
17	Ghana	33.2
18	Kyrgyzstan	33.1
19	China	32.5
20	Libya	30.4
21	Laos	29.6
22	Vietnam	29.6
23	Uzbekistan	28.6
24	Gambia	28.5
25	Myanmar	28.2
26	Senegal	28.2
27	Bosnia Herzegovina	27.5
28	Uganda	27.3
29	Ethiopia	27.0
30	Saudi Arabia	26.5
31	Armenia	26.4
32	North Macedonia	25.2
33	Zambia	24.1
34	Cameroon	24.0
35	Nigeria	23.9
36	Thailand	23.3
37	Cambodia	22.8
38	Malaysia	22.5
39	Mongolia	22.5
40	Kazakhstan	22.2
41	Montenegro	21.3
42	Madagascar	20.6
43	Serbia	20.5
44	Turkey	20.3
45	Taiwan	20.2
46	Suriname	10.6
47	Lithuania	10.4
48	Canada	10.3
49	Russia	10.0
50	Spain	9.9
51	Japan	9.6
52	Panama	9.6
53	Austria	9.6
54	France	9.5
55	Belgium	9.4
56	Argentina	9.2
57	USA	9.1
58	Germany	9.0
59	Switzerland	8.9
60	Luxembourg	8.9
61	Netherlands	8.7
62	Ukraine	8.6
63	Belize	8.3
64	Latvia	8.0
65	Andorra	7.9
66	Angola	7.8
67	United Kingdom	7.7
68	Denmark	7.7
69	Anguilla	7.4
70	Ecuador	7.4
71	Liechtenstein	7.2
72	Jamaica	7.1
73	Portugal	6.8
74	Ireland	6.3
75	Norway	6.3
76	Costa Rica	6.1
77	Trinidad and Tobago	5.8
78	Bahamas	5.2
79	Sweden	5.1
80	Finland	4.9
81	Estonia	4.7
82	Puerto Rico	4.5
83	Australia	4.5
84	New Zealand	4.3
85	Bermuda	4.1
86	Grenada	4.1
87	Iceland	4.0
88	Mauritius	3.5
89	French Polynesia	3.2
90	Mexico	20.1
91	South Africa	19.9
92	El Salvador	19.5
93	Sri Lanka	19.3
94	South Korea	19.2
95	Peru	18.8
96	Azerbaijan	18.8
97	Chile	18.8
98	Guatemala	18.7
99	State of Palestine	18.6
100	Israel	17.8
101	Greece	17.4
102	Guyana	17.1
103	Gabon	16.9
104	Albania	16.7
105	Ivory Coast	16.6
106	Georgia	16.4
107	Togo	16.3
108	Macao SAR	16.2
109	Moldova	16.2
110	Nicaragua	15.7
111	Romania	15.7
112	Hong Kong SAR	15.7
113	Maldives	15.6
114	Honduras	15.3
115	Italy	15.1
116	Slovenia	15.0
117	Cyprus	14.9
118	Poland	14.3
119	Colombia	14.1
120	Guinea	14.1
121	Croatia	13.9
122	Algeria	13.8
123	Philippines	13.8
124	Singapore	13.5
125	Bulgaria	13.4
126	Slovakia	13.2
127	Brazil	13.1
128	Bolivia	12.6
129	Kosovo	12.6
130	Malta	12.1
131	Hungary	12.0
132	Uruguay	12.0
133	Czech Republic	11.7
134	Kenya	11.5

The situation is particularly dire in Central & South Asia, home to the world’s top ten most polluted cities, with Begusarai, India, earning the dubious distinction of being the most polluted metropolitan area in 2023. The United States also featured in the report, with Columbus, Ohio, and Beloit, Wisconsin, being identified as the most polluted major city and city, respectively, while Las Vegas, Nevada, was noted for its relatively clean air.

Air quality data saves lives

“A clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a universal human right. In many parts of the world the lack of air quality data delays decisive action and perpetuates unnecessary human suffering. Air quality data saves lives. Where air quality is reported, action is taken, and air quality improves,” states Frank Hammes, Global CEO, of IQAir.

These independent air quality monitoring stations reveal disproportional exposure to harmful air pollution among vulnerable and underrepresented groups. Glaring gaps in air quality monitoring data, where pollution is likely poor, further underline the need to expand air quality monitoring coverage worldwide.