A recent air quality report has revealed that only seven countries met the World Health Organization's (WHO) air quality standards in 2024, raising concerns about increasing pollution levels worldwide.
The findings come at a time when air quality monitoring efforts have suffered a significant setback due to the United States shutting down its global pollution tracking program.
According to Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir, Chad and Bangladesh were the most polluted nations, with smog levels 15 times higher than WHO recommendations.
The study also highlighted a severe data gap in pollution monitoring, particularly in Africa and Asia, due to the withdrawal of U.S. embassy-based air quality sensors.
The report identified only seven nations that successfully adhered to WHO's strict air pollution guidelines in 2024:
Australia
New Zealand
The Bahamas
Barbados
Grenada
Estonia
Iceland
These countries managed to maintain PM2.5 levels below WHO's recommended threshold of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (mg/cu m), a standard that was met by just 17% of cities worldwide.
The latest IQAir data ranks Chad and Bangladesh as the world’s most polluted countries in 2024, consistent with trends from previous years. Chad, which was excluded from IQAir’s 2023 list due to data concerns, has once again been identified as the most polluted nation, a title it also held in 2022.
The country is significantly affected by Sahara Desert dust storms and rampant crop burning, both of which contribute to hazardous PM2.5 concentrations. In 2024, Chad recorded an average PM2.5 level of 91.8 mg/cu m, slightly higher than in 2022.
India ranked fifth on the list of the most polluted countries, following Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. However, the country saw a 7% decrease in its PM2.5 levels, averaging 50.6 mg/cu m in 2024.
Despite this slight improvement, India accounted for 12 of the 20 most polluted cities globally, with Byrnihat, an industrial city in northeastern India, recording the highest pollution levels (PM2.5: 128 mg/cu m).
A major concern highlighted in the report is the United States’ decision to shut down its air quality monitoring program. The U.S. State Department recently ended the scheme, citing budget constraints, leading to the removal of over 17 years of air quality data from its official website airnow.gov.
The program, which operated air quality sensors at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide, provided critical pollution data for many developing nations, particularly in Africa and Asia.
According to IQAir’s air quality science manager, Christi Chester-Schroeder, the loss of U.S. monitoring stations will significantly impact air quality tracking in Africa, where these sensors were often the only sources of real-time pollution data.
Experts are raising concerns that climate change is exacerbating air pollution globally. Rising temperatures are triggering more frequent and intense wildfires, particularly in South America and Southeast Asia, leading to increased PM2.5 levels.
Christa Hasenkopf, Director of the Clean Air Program at the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC), highlighted the critical role of the U.S. monitoring program in improving air quality worldwide. She warned that at least 34 countries will now lose access to reliable pollution data, affecting global efforts to combat air pollution.
She further emphasized, “(It) is a giant blow to air quality efforts worldwide.”
The latest IQAir report underscores a worsening global air pollution crisis, with only a handful of nations achieving WHO’s air quality standards. The decision to end U.S. embassy-based monitoring could further complicate pollution tracking, particularly in developing regions that rely heavily on such data.
As climate change intensifies wildfires and dust storms, pollution levels are expected to worsen, making it crucial for governments to implement stronger environmental policies and enhance real-time air quality monitoring.