Key Impact Points:
- Just seven countries achieved WHO air quality standards last year, underscoring ongoing global pollution challenges.
- Chad and Bangladesh were ranked as the world’s most polluted countries, with pollution levels exceeding WHO guidelines by over 15 times.
- The closure of the U.S. State Department’s global air monitoring program will leave significant data gaps, especially impacting Africa and Asia.
Global Air Quality Crisis
Only Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia, and Iceland met World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards in 2024, according to data from Swiss monitoring firm IQAir.
Chad and Bangladesh Lead Pollution Rankings
Chad and Bangladesh emerged as the most polluted countries globally, with Chad recording hazardous PM2.5 levels of 91.8 micrograms per cubic metre (mg/cu m)—more than 15 times the WHO recommended maximum of 5 mg/cu m. India’s air quality improved slightly but still ranked fifth, behind Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Despite overall improvements, India was home to 12 of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities. Byrnihat, located in India’s industrial northeast, topped the list with an average PM2.5 level of 128 mg/cu m.
Loss of Critical U.S. Monitoring
The recent termination of the U.S. State Department’s air monitoring initiative, citing budget constraints, has removed over 17 years of crucial air quality data from public access, significantly impacting developing regions.
“Most countries have a few other data sources, but it’s going to impact Africa significantly, because oftentimes these are the only sources of publicly available real-time air quality monitoring data,” explained Christi Chester-Schroeder, IQAir’s air quality science manager.
Climate Change Exacerbating Pollution
Climate change is increasingly worsening air pollution globally. Higher temperatures are intensifying forest fires, significantly affecting regions like Southeast Asia and South America.
“(It) is a giant blow to air quality efforts worldwide,” warned Christa Hasenkopf, director of the Clean Air Program at the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute (EPIC). Hasenkopf also highlighted the direct benefits of the U.S. monitoring program, noting that it had “boosting life expectancy and even reducing hazard allowances for U.S. diplomats, meaning that it paid for itself.”
At least 34 countries will lose reliable access to critical pollution data due to the shutdown of the U.S. monitoring effort, complicating global efforts to tackle air quality.
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