Central and South Asia have become the regions with the worst air quality in the world in 2023. Report drawn up by IQAir says.
The study analyzed particulate matter, or PM2.5, which is the smallest pollutant, and the most dangerous. Only 9 percent out of more than 7,800 cities meet the WHO standard of no more than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter per year.
Begusarai, a city of half a million people in Bihar state in northern India, was the most polluted in the world last year with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 118.9, which exceeds the WHO recommendation 23 times. It is followed in the IQAir ranking by the Indian cities of Guwahati, Assam, Delhi, and Mullanpur, Punjab.
According to the report, 1.3 billion people, or 96 percent of the population across India live in conditions where air quality is seven times higher than WHO recommendations.
Central and South Asia were the worst performing regions in the world with all four of the most polluted countries in 2023: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Tajikistan.
In Southeast Asia, only the Philippines showed a decrease in air pollution levels compared to 2022.
South Asia is of particular concern: 29 of the 30 most polluted cities are in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
Only ten states and territories had healthy air quality: Finland, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and French Polynesia.
