Air Pollution Statistics by Country 2023: Global Rankings

Page updated: August 2026 · Data year: 2023 · 2026 data pending release · Source: World Bank, Eurostat

This page compiles the most important air pollution statistics for 2023 by country. This page covers data from 64 countries, Data is sourced from the World Bank, Eurostat, and peer-reviewed research — all fully open and citable. Charts, ranked tables, and key facts are updated automatically as new data becomes available.

Key Air Pollution Statistics (2023)

7 million
Annual deaths from air pollution globally
99%
Population exposed to unsafe air quality
Bangladesh (79.9 µg/m³)
Most polluted country by PM2.5 (2023)
Australia (4.5 µg/m³)
Cleanest country air quality (2023)
5 µg/m³ annual mean
WHO safe PM2.5 guideline level
$8.1 trillion/year
Economic cost of air pollution (global)

Key Findings: Air Pollution Statistics — 2023 (most recent available — 2026 figures not yet published by World Bank/Eurostat) Data

The latest data shows Qatar, Niger, Qatar lead globally for pm2.5 air pollution (μg/m³ annual mean), with the highest recorded value of 107.8 μg/m³. At the other end of the scale, World, World, World record the lowest rates among the countries surveyed.

PM2.5 air pollution (μg/m³ annual mean) by Country (2023)PM2.5 air pollution (μg/m³ annual mean) by Country (2023) Qatar 107.8 Niger 85.1 Qatar 75.7 Saudi Arabia 73.5 Mauritania 70.8 Bangladesh 69.3 Nigeria 65.7 Niger 65.2 Senegal 63.7 Kuwait 62.3 Bahrain 58.5 Burkina Faso 58.5 Pakistan 58.4 Gambia, The 58.4 United Arab Emirates 57.2 Mali 56.8 Bahrain 56.6 Nigeria 56.5 Cameroon 55.6 South Asia 55.2
Global PM2.5 air pollution (μg/m³ annual mean) TrendGlobal PM2.5 air pollution (μg/m³ annual mean) Trend39.938.136.234.432.5200120042007201020132016201920222023World

PM2.5 air pollution (μg/m³ annual mean) by Country — Ranked Table

#CountryPM2.5 air pollution (μg/m³ annual mean)Year
1Qatar107.8 μg/m³2023
2Niger85.1 μg/m³2020
3Qatar75.7 μg/m³2020
4Saudi Arabia73.5 μg/m³2023
5Mauritania70.8 μg/m³2020
6Bangladesh69.3 μg/m³2023
7Nigeria65.7 μg/m³2023
8Niger65.2 μg/m³2023
9Senegal63.7 μg/m³2020
10Kuwait62.3 μg/m³2023
11Bahrain58.5 μg/m³2020
12Burkina Faso58.5 μg/m³2020
13Pakistan58.4 μg/m³2023
14Gambia, The58.4 μg/m³2020
15United Arab Emirates57.2 μg/m³2023
16Mali56.8 μg/m³2020
17Bahrain56.6 μg/m³2023
18Nigeria56.5 μg/m³2020
19Cameroon55.6 μg/m³2023
20South Asia55.2 μg/m³2023
21South Asia (IDA & IBRD)55.2 μg/m³2023
22Africa Western and Central54.9 μg/m³2020
23Egypt, Arab Rep.54.9 μg/m³2020
24Ghana54.2 μg/m³2020
25India54.1 μg/m³2023
26Kuwait53.7 μg/m³2020
27Nepal53.2 μg/m³2023
28Saudi Arabia53.1 μg/m³2020
29IDA blend52.1 μg/m³2023
30Togo51.7 μg/m³2020

Methodology

All statistics on this page are sourced from open-licensed public datasets. World Bank data is available under CC BY 4.0. Eurostat data is published under the Eurostat copyright notice permitting free reuse. Manual statistics are sourced from primary research publications and are cited inline. Data is refreshed automatically on a weekly basis. Where multiple years are available, the most recent complete year is shown unless otherwise noted.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the latest air pollution statistics?

Based on the most recent data compiled by Statsipedia, we've gathered statistics from authoritative sources including the World Bank, Eurostat, and leading research institutions. See the key statistics section above for the most up-to-date figures.

When were these air pollution statistics last updated?

This page was last updated in August 2026. The underlying data points may reflect different collection years — each statistic is labelled with its source year.

Where does the air pollution statistics data come from?

Our statistics are sourced from publicly available datasets including the World Bank Open Data platform (CC BY 4.0), Eurostat, and peer-reviewed research. All sources are cited inline and linked to the original publication.

Can I use these air pollution statistics in my research or content?

Yes. We source data from open-license datasets (CC BY 4.0). Please attribute Statsipedia and the original data source. For commercial use, check the license of each individual source.

Sources & Methodology

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