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As per the WHO, annual mean PM2.5 concentrations should not exceed 5 µg/m³. IBT Graphics

Nearly all countries in the world are coping with dangerous levels of air pollution. However, in the most polluted countries, the levels are at least 15 times more than the recommended limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO).

As per the WHO, annual mean PM2.5 concentrations should not exceed 5 µg/m³.

Chad, which had an average PM2.5 concentration of nearly 90 micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3), became the world's most polluted country in 2022, surpassing Bangladesh's 76.9 average in 2021. Chad witnessed significantly high levels of pollution owing to its oil, textile, and meatpacking industries, along with waste burning and vehicle emissions.

Among the top five most-polluted countries in the world in 2022, Iraq and Bahrain witnessed the highest surge in the average PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³) from 2021. Bangladesh, on the other hand, saw a decline from 76.9 PM2.5 concentration (µg/m³) in 2021 to 65.8 in 2022, according to World Air Quality report 2022 by IQAir.

Last year, only six countries met the WHO PM2.5 guideline with an average of 5 µg/m3 or less, including Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, and New Zealand.