Only Seven Countries Met WHO Air Quality Standards in 2024
In 2024, only seven countries met the World Health Organization’s (WHO) air quality guidelines for fine particulate matter (PM2.5), according to data from IQAir. These countries are Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia, and Iceland.
In contrast, the most polluted countries were Chad and Bangladesh, with average PM2.5 concentrations exceeding WHO recommendations by more than 15 times. Chad recorded an average PM2.5 concentration of 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter, while Bangladesh had 78 micrograms per cubic meter.
The report also highlighted that only 17% of cities worldwide met the WHO’s PM2.5 guidelines, with Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, achieving the lowest annual average of 1.1 micrograms per cubic meter. Oceania emerged as the region with the cleanest air, with 57% of its cities meeting the WHO standards.
The data underscores the global challenge of air pollution and the need for enhanced monitoring and policy interventions to improve air quality.
