Khaberni - A study on Tuesday showed that Pakistan topped the list of the most polluted countries in the world in terms of smog in 2025, as the concentrations of dangerous fine particles known as PM2.5 exceeded the levels recommended by the World Health Organization by up to 13 times.
The Swiss air quality monitoring company IQAir reported in its annual report that only 13 countries and regions maintained average levels of fine particulate pollution within the organization's standard, i.e., less than five micrograms per cubic meter last year compared to just seven countries in 2024.
The report clarified that 130 countries and regions out of 143 monitored did not meet the World Health Organization's guideline standards.
Bangladesh and Tajikistan ranked second and third on the list of the most polluted countries, while Chad, which was the most polluted in 2024, ranked fourth in 2025.
The city of Loni in India topped the list of the most polluted cities in the world for the year 2025, with an average of fine particulate pollution of 112.5 micrograms, followed by the city of Hotan in the Xinjiang region, northwest China, with an average of 109.6 micrograms.
All of the world's most polluted cities, totaling 25, were located in India, Pakistan, and China.
Only 14 percent of the world's cities met the World Health Organization standards in 2025, down from 17 percent in the previous year, and wildfires in Canada raised levels of fine particulate pollution across the United States and into Europe.
Among the countries that met the standard in 2025 were Australia, Iceland, Estonia, and Panama.
