In 2023, Pakistan remained among the world’s top three countries with severe smog levels, alongside Bangladesh and India, replacing Chad and Iran, with particulate matter concentrations approximately 15 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended level, according to data released on Tuesday.
The average concentrations of PM2.5, which are tiny airborne particles known to harm the lungs, reached 79.9 micrograms per cubic meter in Bangladesh and 73.7 micrograms in Pakistan in 2023, far exceeding the WHO’s recommended limit of 5 micrograms.
Christi Chester Schroeder, the air quality science manager at IQAir, a Swiss air monitoring organization, attributed the high levels of PM2.5 in South Asia to climate conditions and geographical factors that trap pollution. She also cited agricultural practices, industrial activities, and population density as contributing factors, expressing concern that the situation may worsen before improving.
Bangladesh, previously ranked fifth for air quality in 2022, and India, ranked eighth, experienced increased pollution levels last year. In Bangladesh, around 20% of premature deaths are linked to air pollution, with related healthcare costs accounting for 4% to 5% of the country’s GDP, according to Md Firoz Khan, an air pollution expert at Dhaka’s North South University.
India, particularly New Delhi, reported PM2.5 levels about 11 times higher than the WHO standard, with the capital city recording 92.7 micrograms.
In China, PM2.5 levels rose by 6.3% to 32.5 micrograms in 2023, marking the end of five consecutive annual declines.
The IQAir report, based on data from over 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries and regions, revealed that only Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand met WHO standards in 2023.
Chad, previously the world’s most polluted country in 2022, was excluded from the 2023 listings due to data issues, along with Iran and Sudan.
Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Air Quality Life Index at the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute, highlighted that 39% of countries lack public air quality monitoring. She emphasized the urgent need for a coordinated global effort to address data gaps, particularly in regions with significant health burdens from air pollution.
