List of countries by air pollution


The following list of countries by air pollution sorts the countries of the world according to their average measured concentration of particulate matter in micrograms per cubic metre. The World Health Organization's recommended limit is 10 micrograms per cubic metre, although there are also various national guideline values, which are often much higher. Air pollution is among the biggest health problems of modern industrial society and is responsible for more than 10 percent of all deaths worldwide, according to The Lancet. Air pollution can affect nearly every organ and system of the body, negatively affecting nature and humans alike. Air pollution is a particularly big problem in emerging and developing countries, where global environmental standards often cannot be met. The data in this list refers only to outdoor air quality and not indoor air quality, which caused an additional two million premature deaths in 2019.

2022 list (UChicago AQLI 2022)

All data are valid for the year 2022 and are taken from the Air Quality Life Index of the University of Chicago. In addition to particulate matter pollution, the modeled potential loss of life expectancy of the population due to particulate matter pollution is given.
RankCountryParticulate matter


WHO-Guideline=5		Loss of life
expectancy
154.17−4.82
241.39−3.57
339.18−3.32
439.16−3.35
538.90−3.32
634.20−2.86
734.04−2.85
833.37−2.78
932.87−2.73
1032.58−2.70
1131.94−2.64
1232.42−2.69
1330.10−2.46
1429.63−2.41
1528.64−2.32
1628.18−2.27
1727.87−2.24
1827.81−2.24
1927.50−2.20
20El SalvadorGABPERGTMNGACAF

List (2018−2023)

All data are valid for the year 2018-2023 and are taken from the IQAir 2023 World Air Quality Ranking.
RankCountry/Region201820192020202120222023Population
1India