Which country has the cleanest air in the world?

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

According to IQAir's latest World Air Quality Report, the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has the cleanest air in the world. The report ranks 106 countries and territories by the level of particulate matter in their air.

Air pollution remains one of the greatest threats to human health, causing the deaths of seven million people every year. Billions more suffer from the effects of poor air quality. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 92% of the world's population breathes toxic air.

Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, has the cleanest air in the world, followed by the French territory of New Caledonia in the Pacific Ocean with the territory of the United States Virgin Islands in third place.

The highest-ranking sovereign states are Sweden (4th), Finland (5th), Norway (6th), Estonia (7th) and New Zealand (8th).

At the other end of the spectrum, Bangladesh has the worst air quality, followed by Pakistan, India, Mongolia and Afghanistan.

Songquan Deng/ShutterstockPuerto Rico has the cleanest air in the world

Air quality index

The report analyzes results from over 60,000 monitoring stations around the world, making it the world's largest centralized air quality measurement platform.

It also draws on data collected from thousands of clean air initiatives managed by governments, nonprofits, citizens, communities and private companies.

The report focuses on PM2.5 concentrations because this is the pollutant widely considered to be the most harmful to human health. PM2.5 is defined as airborne particles up to 2.5 micrometers in size. A micrometer (or micrometer) is a millionth of a meter or a thousandth of a millimeter.

IQAIRThe blue countries are the only ones that meet the WHO guidelines

Due to its microscopic size, the particles can enter the bloodstream via the respiratory system and travel throughout the body, leading to a range of health problems including asthma, lung cancer and heart disease.

Air pollution is also linked to low birth weight, increased acute respiratory infections and strokes.

The WHO air quality guideline value for PM2.5 exposure that has been proven to pose no health risk is 10 µg/m³ or 10 micrograms of air pollutant per cubic meter of air.

There are only 25 of the 106 countries or territories assessed that meet these guidelines.

most polluted cities

The report also creates a ranking for thousands of cities in the world. Delhi famously hit the headlines in 2020 as the city witnessed drastically improved air quality as restrictions were put in place due to the pandemic.

However, the city soon returned to “normal” as pollution reached “emergency levels” in November 2020 and the city was enveloped in thick toxic smog.

Amit kg/ShutterstockDelhi is the most polluted capital in the world

Bangladesh, China, India and Pakistan share 49 of the 50 most polluted cities worldwide, with nine of the 10 most polluted cities in India alone. Hotan in China is the most polluted city in the world while Delhi is the most polluted capital in the world.

Most polluted cities

Most polluted capitals

COUNTRY RANKING: Cleanest air in the world

The World Air Quality Report lists 106 countries and territories. States left out did not have enough ground-based PM2.5 monitoring stations.

Main image: Blue Planet Studio/Shutterstock

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