The latest World Air Quality Report reveals alarming pollution levels globally, ranking India as the sixth most polluted country and underscoring the urgent need for improved air quality to protect public health, especially for vulnerable populations like children.
Key Points
- Pakistan is identified as the most polluted country globally, followed by Bangladesh and Tajikistan, according to the 8th World Air Quality Report.
- India ranks as the sixth most polluted country, with several of the world's most polluted cities located within its borders.
- Only a small fraction of countries and territories worldwide meet the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual average PM2.5 guideline for air quality.
- Wildfire activity in 2025 worsened air quality in many regions, leading to a decrease in the percentage of cities meeting WHO guidelines.
- Children are particularly vulnerable to the long-term and irreversible health impacts of air pollution, highlighting the urgent need for improved air quality management.
Pakistan is the most polluted country in the world, followed by Bangladesh and Tajikistan while India is at the sixth spot, according to the 8th World Air Quality report.
The 2025 edition of the report published by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, is based on analysis of data from monitoring stations across 9,446 cities in 143 countries, regions and territories.
The data has been sourced from more than 40,000 regulatory monitoring stations and low-cost sensors managed by a wide array of contributors, including government agencies, universities, non-profit organisations, private enterprises and engaged citizen scientists around the world.
While China is at the 20th position amongst the most polluted countries in the world, the USA is at the 120th spot and the UK is at the 110th spot.
According to the report, only 13 countries or territories -- French Polynesia, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Barbados, New Caledonia, Iceland, Bermuda, Reunion, Andorra, Australia, Grenada, Panama and Estonia -- met the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual average PM2.5 guideline.
The report said, "130 out of 143 countries or territories (91 per cent) exceeded the WHO annual average PM2.5 guideline value. The five most polluted countries were Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Chad and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The world's 25 most polluted cities were all located in India, Pakistan and China, with India home to three of the four most polluted."
Nieuwoudtville, South Africa, was the world's cleanest city, with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 1.0 µg/m³.
Among cities, Uttar Pradesh's Loni is the most polluted, followed by Hotan in China and Byrnihat in Meghalaya, India. Delhi is at the fourth spot, followed by Faisalabad in Pakistan.
Impact of Wildfires on Air Quality
"In 2025, wildfire activity severely impacted regions that have historically experienced relatively low PM2.5 levels. As a result, only 14 per cent of the global cities met the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline in 2025, compared to 17 per cent in 2024.
"This downward trend serves as a stark reminder that maintaining clean air requires active stewardship and a proactive strategy -- regardless of historical performance," the report said.
Maintaining clean air is a long-term commitment to incremental improvement rather than a single policy goal achieved or annual target concentration reached, it said.
Health Impacts on Children
"For children, however, the impact of air pollution exposure can last a lifetime; the respiratory damage sustained during developmental years is often irreversible. As the demographic with the least agency in these environmental shifts, children are left to bear the permanent health costs of air quality they did not choose," the report said.
