Most Polluted Countries by PM2.5 (2023)
India was the world's most polluted country in 2023 with an average PM2.5 concentration of 79.9 µg/m³, about 16 times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³. Bangladesh and Tajikistan rounded out the top three.
Data
| # | Country | PM2.5 2023 | PM2.5 2022 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 79.9 | 65.8 | +14.1 |
| 2 | Bangladesh | 73.7 | 70.9 | +2.8 |
| 3 | Tajikistan | 54.4 | 53.3 | +1.1 |
| 4 | Pakistan | 49.0 | 46.0 | +3.0 |
| 5 | Burkina Faso | 46.6 | 63.0 | -16.4 |
| 6 | Iraq | 43.8 | 80.1 | -36.3 |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates | 43.0 | 45.9 | -2.9 |
| 8 | Nepal | 42.4 | 40.1 | +2.3 |
| 9 | Egypt | 42.4 | 46.5 | -4.1 |
| 10 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 40.8 | 15.5 | +25.3 |
| 11 | Kuwait | 39.9 | 55.8 | -15.9 |
| 12 | Bahrain | 39.2 | 66.6 | -27.4 |
| 13 | Qatar | 37.6 | 42.5 | -4.9 |
| 14 | Indonesia | 37.1 | 30.4 | +6.7 |
| 15 | Rwanda | 36.8 | 44.0 | -7.2 |
| 16 | Zimbabwe | 33.3 | -- | -- |
| 17 | Ghana | 33.2 | 30.2 | +3.0 |
| 18 | Kyrgyzstan | 33.1 | 31.1 | +2.0 |
| 19 | China | 32.5 | 30.6 | +1.9 |
| 20 | Libya | 30.4 | -- | -- |
| 21 | Laos | 29.6 | 27.6 | +2.0 |
| 22 | Vietnam | 29.6 | 27.2 | +2.4 |
| 23 | Uzbekistan | 28.6 | 33.5 | -4.9 |
| 24 | Gambia | 28.5 | -- | -- |
| 25 | Myanmar | 28.2 | 24.3 | +3.9 |