Which country has the cleanest air in the world?

The countries with the cleanest air in the world have been ranked in a new report. We take a look at the results

The Pacific Island nation of French Polynesia has the world’s cleanest air, according to the latest World Air Quality Report from IQAir. The report ranks 134 countries and territories by the level of fine particulate matter present in the air.

Air pollution continues to pose one of the biggest threats to human health, causing the death of up to seven million people every year. Billions more suffer the effects of poor air quality which can lead to asthma and lung disease. In fact, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 92% of the global population breathes toxic air.

French Polynesia, an overseas collectivity of France, has the cleanest air in the world, followed by the island nations of Mauritius, Iceland, Grenada and Bermuda.

Of 134 countries and regions surveyed in the report, just 10 countries or territories – French Polynesia, Mauritius, Iceland, Grenada, Bermuda, New Zealand, Australia, Puerto Rico, Estonia and Finland – are meeting a World Health Organization (WHO) guideline limit for tiny airborne particles expelled by cars, trucks and industrial processes. Only seven of those 10 are sovereign nations: Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand.

At the other end of the spectrum, Bangladesh has the worst air quality followed by Pakistan, India, Tajikistan and Burkina Faso respectively.

Air Quality Index

The report analyses results from over 30,000 monitoring stations across the globe, making it the world’s largest centralised platform for measuring air quality.

It also draws on data collected from thousands of clean air initiatives administered by governments, non-profit organisations, citizens, communities and private companies.

The report focuses on PM2.5 concentrations (μg/m³) as this pollutant is widely regarded as most harmful to human health. PM2.5 is defined as ambient airborne particles measuring up to 2.5 microns in size. A micron (or micrometre) is one-millionth of a metre or one-thousandth of a millimetre.

Its microscopic size allows the particles to enter the bloodstream via the respiratory system and travel through the body, causing a range of health problems including asthma, lung cancer and heart disease.

Air pollution is also associated with low birth weight, increased acute respiratory infections and stroke.

The WHO’s Air Quality Guideline value for PM2.5 exposure – which has been proven to be free of health impacts – is 10µg/m³ or 10 micrograms of air pollutant per cubic meter of air.

There are only 10 countries or territories, out of the 134 assessed, which pass these guidelines.

most polluted cities

The report also produces a ranking for thousands of the world’s cities. New Delhi famously hit the headlines in 2020 when the city witnessed drastically improved air quality when restrictions were introduced due to the pandemic.

However, the city soon returned to “normal” when pollution hit “emergency” levels in November 2020 and the city became enveloped in thick toxic smog.

Bangladesh, China, India, and Pakistan share 48 of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide with nine of the 10 most polluted in India alone. Begusarai in India is the world’s most polluted city while New Delhi is the world’s most polluted capital.

COUNTRY RANKING: Cleanest air in the world

The World Air Quality Report ranks 134 countries and territories from the most polluted to the least. States that have been omitted lacked sufficient ground-based PM2.5 monitoring stations.

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Lead image: Blue Planet Studio/Shutterstock