South Asia continues to face a severe air pollution crisis, according to the latest global report. Pakistan, Bangladesh, and India are among the most polluted countries in the world, with cities in these countries ranking among the 100 worst for air quality.
The report by Swiss-based air quality technology firm IQAir shows that Pakistan tops the list with an average PM2.5 of 67.3 μg/m³, followed by Bangladesh at 66.1 μg/m³, Tajikistan at 57.3 μg/m³, Chad at 53.6 μg/m³, and the Democratic Republic of Congo at 50.2 μg/m³. India is sixth, with its PM2.5 dropping slightly to below 50 μg/m³ – still nearly 10 times higher than the World Health Organization’s safe limit of 5 μg/m³.
With 83 cities from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal ranking among the 100 most polluted in the world. Within the top 20 most polluted places, nine cities are in India and eight in Pakistan, while three are in China.
The worst affected city is Loni, India, which borders Delhi and experiences chronic pollution from traffic, crop burning, and industrial activity.
PM2.5 refers to tiny air particles that are 2.5 micrometers or smaller – about 30 times thinner than a human hair. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, causing serious health problems like asthma, heart disease, and lung damage.
The unit μg/m³ (micrograms per cubic metre) measures how many tiny particles are in a cubic metre of air. For example, a PM2.5 level of 50 μg/m³ means there are 50 micrograms of these particles in the space roughly the size of a large refrigerator.
In 2025, Delhi, India’s capital, recorded an average PM2.5 of 99.6 μg/m³, twenty times higher than the safe limit. This is despite an 8% reduction from previous years. Residents experienced severe air pollution during seasonal crop burning, traffic congestion, and stagnant winter air, with daily peaks even hitting 460 μg/m³ – forcing schools to close and hospitals to treat a surge of respiratory and heart patients.
While some countries have improved monitoring, data gaps remain, especially in Africa and West Asia, the report warns that the situation requires regional cooperation, as pollution crosses borders and affects neighbouring countries.
The report highlights that air pollution worsened globally in 2025, with only 14% of cities meeting WHO’s guideline for safe air. Factors like wildfire smoke, industrial emissions, and climate change contributed to rising levels of PM2.5 worldwide.
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