A Swiss research organisation has revealed that Bangladesh was the world's second most polluted country in 2024, with average smog levels exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines by over 15 times. The findings, compiled by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir, place Bangladesh's air quality among the worst globally.
According to the report, Bangladesh recorded an average PM2.5 level of 78 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³), ranking just below Chad (128 µg/m³). Other countries following Bangladesh in the list of worst air pollution include Pakistan (73.7 µg/m³), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (58.2 µg/m³), and India (50.6 µg/m³).
Dhaka, Bangladesh's capital, ranked as the third most polluted capital in the world in 2024, with an average PM2.5 level of 78 µg/m³. New Delhi topped the list with an average level of 91.6 µg/m³, followed closely by Chad's capital, N'Djamena, at 91.8 µg/m³. Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, ranked fourth and fifth, respectively.
The IQAir study, released on Tuesday, analysed air quality data from over 40,000 monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories, and regions. The findings indicate that only seven countries-Australia, New Zealand, the Bahamas, Barbados, Grenada, Estonia, and Iceland-met the WHO's air quality standards in 2024, highlighting the global struggle against air pollution.
Researchers expressed concerns about growing challenges in addressing smog, citing the United States' recent decision to end its global air quality monitoring programme due to budget constraints. This decision removed over 17 years of data from AirNow.gov, the official government air quality monitoring website.
The WHO recommends PM2.5 levels of no more than 5 µg/m³; however, only 17% of cities worldwide met this standard in 2024. The report also noted significant data gaps, especially in Asia and Africa, where many countries previously relied on sensors installed at U.S. embassies and consulates to monitor pollution levels.
"Air pollution remains a critical threat to both human health and environmental stability, yet vast populations remain unaware of their exposure levels," said Frank Hammes, Global CEO of IQAir. He emphasised that access to clean air should be recognised as a universal human right.
According to the WHO, 99% of the global population lives in areas that fail to meet recommended air quality levels. Air pollution is the second leading global risk factor for death and the second leading cause of mortality among children under five, after malnutrition. In 2021 alone, air pollution caused 8.1 million deaths, with 58% attributed to ambient PM2.5 pollution.
Exposure to PM2.5 has been linked to various health issues, including asthma, cancer, strokes, and lung diseases. It is also associated with congenital heart defects, cognitive impairments, and neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly when exposure occurs during pregnancy or early childhood.
