50 Most Polluted Country in the world. By 2023. Pollution data comparison.

Top 50 🌍 Most Polluted Countries (Top ~15) — Annual Average PM2.5 (≈ 2024)*

2024 Annual Average PM2.5 (µg/m³) — Based on IQAir’s World Air Quality Report and other compilations:

Rank Country Approx. PM2.5 (µg/m³)

1 Chad 91.8
2 Bangladesh 78.0
3 Pakistan 73.7
4 Democratic Republic of the Congo 58.2
5 India ~50.6
6 Tajikistan ~49.0 (2023 data)
7 Burkina Faso ~46.6 (2023 data)
8 Iraq ~43.8 (2023 data)
9 United Arab Emirates ~43.0 (2023 data)
10 Nepal ~42.8 (2023 data)
11 Uganda ~41.0 (2023 data)
12 Rwanda ~40.8 (2023 data)
13 Kuwait ~39.9 (2023 data)
14 Bahrain ~39.2 (2023 data)
15 Qatar ~37.6 (2023 data)


Note: Some figures above come from the most recent available data (2023 or 2024). Complete 2025 data isn't published publicly yet. When newer IQAir reports are released, positions can shift.




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📌 Why Full “Top 50” Rankings Aren’t Easily Available

The official World Air Quality Report publishes detailed PM2.5 data but typically only makes top 10–20 lists freely viewable online.

Broader global data is often available in raw databases (e.g., WHO Ambient Air Quality Database, World Bank PM2.5 data), but assembling a precise top-50 ranking requires processing those datasets.

Some countries may lack reliable monitoring stations, so their numbers are modelled rather than measured.



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📊 How You Could Build a Top 50 List Yourself

To compile a ranking of 50+ countries by PM2.5:

1. Download annual PM2.5 data from:

WHO Ambient Air Quality Database (annual mean PM2.5)

World Bank PM2.5 indicators

IQAir World Air Quality