Pakistan Ranked Third Most Polluted Country in 2024 Amid Record Smog Levels
Pakistan ranked as the third most polluted country in 2024, following Chad and Bangladesh, according to Swiss air technology company IQAir’s annual World Air Quality Report. The country experienced an unprecedented smog crisis, particularly in Punjab, leading to health issues for around two million people and prompting government-imposed lockdowns and school closures.
The report highlighted that Pakistan’s PM2.5 concentration averaged 73.7 micrograms per cubic meter—nearly 15 times the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limit. Despite the severe smog, pollution levels remained unchanged from 2023. In the Central and South Asia region, Pakistan ranked second behind Bangladesh, with Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, and Sialkot among the 15 most polluted cities.
IQAir identified biomass burning, industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, brick kilns, and construction dust as major contributors. Five Pakistani cities recorded PM2.5 levels exceeding 200 microns in November. While cities like Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Lahore saw rising pollution levels, Karachi’s air quality slightly improved.
Globally, Chad had pollution levels 18 times higher than WHO guidelines, while India, ranking fifth overall, had six of the world’s nine most polluted cities. New Delhi remained the most polluted capital, followed by Chad’s N’Djamena and Bangladesh’s Dhaka. Meanwhile, Oceania remained the world’s cleanest region, with 57% of its cities meeting WHO air quality standards.
The report was based on data from over 40,000 monitoring stations across 138 countries. It emphasized that air pollution remains a major health risk, responsible for 8.1 million premature deaths globally in 2021, as per the “State of Global Air 2024” report. Despite the grim findings, the study noted a slight global improvement, with 17% of cities meeting WHO standards in 2024 compared to just 9% in 2023.
