Pakistan Most Polluted Country 2025

A new annual report by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir revealed that Pakistan was the world's most polluted country in 2025, with PM2.5 concentrations up to 13 times higher than the World Health Organization's recommended levels. India's city India — Uttar Pradesh was identified as the world's most polluted city. The report also noted that 130 out of 143 monitored countries failed to meet the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines. Bangladesh and Tajikistan ranked second and third, respectively, among the most polluted countries. The United States' decision to shut down its global monitoring program due to budget constraints led to data gaps for several countries, including Chad, Burundi, Turkmenistan, and Togo. Only 14% of the world's cities met the World Health Organization standard in 2025, a decline from the previous year, with Canadian wildfires contributing to increased pollution in North America and Europe. Some countries, such as Australia, Iceland, Estonia, and Panama, met the standards, while Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Mongolia showed significant improvements in air quality.