According to the Swiss company IQAir’s annual global ranking, Lahore in Pakistan has risen by more than ten positions to become the most polluted city in the world in 2022.

IQAir, which specializes in air pollution protection and the development of air monitoring and purification products, today released a report stating that Chad in Central Africa has overtaken Bangladesh in 2022 as the country with the highest levels of air pollution.

Air quality in Lahore has deteriorated to 97.4 micrograms PM2.5 per cubic meter from 86.5 in 2021, making it the most polluted city in the world.

Hotan City, the only Chinese city in the top 20, is followed by Lahore with 94.3µg PM2.5 per cubic metre.

The next two cities in the ranking are Indian: Bhiwadi on the outskirts of New Delhi with a pollution level of 92.7, followed by Delhi with a pollution level of 92.6.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a maximum concentration of 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter as a safety limit.

Chad has an average of 89.7 and Iraq, which stands out as the second most polluted country, has 80.1.

Pakistan, home to two of the five cities with the most polluted air as of 2022, ranks third globally at 70.9, followed by Bahrain at 66.6.

Air quality in Bangladesh has improved since 2021, when it was the country with the highest levels of air pollution. In this latest report, it is in fifth place with a PM2.5 level of 65.8 out of 76.9.

Home to some of the most air polluted cities in the world, India ranks eighth in the latest report with a PM2.5 level of 53.3.

India and Pakistan have the worst air quality in the Central and South Asia region, where nearly 60% of the population lives in areas with PM2.5 concentrations at least seven times higher than recommended WHERE levels, according to the report.

Every tenth person in the world lives in an area where air pollution poses a threat to his health.

The Pacific island of Guam has the cleanest air in the world with a PM2.5 concentration of 1.3, while Canberra is the cleanest for the capital city with a concentration of 2.8.

Source: APE-MPE, Reuters.