World Air Quality Report 2025
Why in News?
The World Air Quality Report 2025, released on 24 March 2026 by the Swiss organization IQ Air, has gained widespread attention for revealing that global air quality significantly declined over the past year.
Key Findings
- Analyzed PM2.5 data from 143 countries; 130 exceeded WHO limits, with South Asia (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan) worst regionally.
- Top 25 polluted cities all in India, Pakistan, China; Loni, India, had highest annual PM2.5.
- Compliant nations (13 total): Mostly islands/Europe like Australia, Barbados, Bermuda, Andorra, Estonia, Iceland.
- Global trends: Wildfire smoke and climate extremes hit cleaner regions; monitoring gaps leave billions untracked.
Health Impacts
- PM2.5 linked to respiratory issues, heart disease, cancer; 99% of world population exposed to unsafe air.
- In India, prolonged exposure cuts life expectancy by ~5 years; tied to 1.5M deaths yearly (2009-2019 data).
Regional Highlights
- India: 6th most polluted; 35% cities over WHO limits despite 7% PM2.5 drop (50.6 µg/m³ average); Delhi most polluted capital (7th time in 8 years).
- Pakistan: Worst globally; dominated polluted city rankings.
- Europe: Steady declines but still largest health risk; EEA notes progress vs. WHO gaps.
- Data gaps: Many areas lack real-time monitoring.
Top Most Polluted Cities in India (2025):
- Loni (Global Rank 1)
- Byrnihat (Global Rank 3)
- Delhi (Global Rank 4)
- Ghaziabad (Global Rank 7)
- Ula (Global Rank 10)
Top 10 Most Polluted Countries (2025)
| Rank |
Country |
Key Notes (PM2.5 Levels) |
| 1 |
Pakistan |
Highest annual average; top cities like Lahore |
| 2 |
Bangladesh |
~200–300 AQI; persistent urban smog |
| 3 |
Tajikistan |
Elevated fine particulates |
| 4 |
Chad |
Down from #1; data collection issues |
| 5 |
India |
Improved slightly to 50.6 µg/m³; still top 5 |
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