Only 12 countries, regions and territories boast concentrations of toxic PM2.5 air particles below the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline of 5.0 μg/m³, new data from IQAir has revealed.
IQAir’s 2024 World Air Quality Report analysed PM2.5 concentrations in 8,954 cities across 138 countries, regions, and territories, using data from more than 40,000 air quality monitoring stations and public sensors.
It noted that while the number of locations with PM2.5 concentrations below the WHO guidance – most of which were in the Latin America and Caribbean or Oceania regions – remains low, improvements have been made.
In 2024, 17% of cities included in the report met the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline level, up from 9% in 2023, it noted.
‘More to be done’
‘While this marks some progress, much more work has yet to be done to protect human health, especially that of children,’ IQAir said. ‘It is our shared responsibility to safeguard the health and well-being of the world’s children, who will one day become the leaders of tomorrow. By equipping them with the knowledge and resources they need, we empower them to tackle the global challenges of the future.’
The 2024 report features expanded coverage in Africa, including information from Djibouti, Mozambique and Chad, the latter of which was identified as the most polluted country in 2024.
Iran, Afghanistan, and Burkina Faso are absent from the report due to a lack of data availability.
Air quality
According to the World Health Organization, 99% of the global population lives in areas that do not meet recommended air quality guidelines, with air pollution representing ‘the greatest environmental threat to human health’. In 2021, for example, 8.1 million deaths were attributed to air pollution, with 58% of those deaths linked to ambient PM2.5 exposure.
‘The United Nations has declared access to healthy air is a universal human right,’ said IQAir. Exposure to PM2.5 contributes to and exacerbates various health conditions, including asthma, cancer, stroke, and lung diseases. In addition, exposure to elevated levels of fine particles during pregnancy and early childhood are associated with congenital heart defects, eczema and allergic disease, cognitive impairments and delays, neurodevelopmental disorders, and mental health disorders.’ Read more here.
