According to a new report, New Zealand is one of only seven countries that meet WHO air quality standards, alongside others like Australia, Iceland, and the Bahamas.
Meanwhile, a report by Swiss air quality firm IQAir shows that South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East dominate the list of the world’s worst polluters.
Chad ranks as the most polluted country, with air quality more than 18 times worse than WHO guidelines. Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India follow, reinforcing South Asia’s status as the most polluted region on Earth.
Central and East Africa feature heavily, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi all ranking among the worst. The Middle East is another pollution hotspot, with Iraq, Egypt, Qatar, and Bahrain suffering from exposure to severely polluted air.
All but one of the 20 most polluted cities are in Asia, with India alone accounting for 13. Byrnihat in eastern India ranks as the world’s most polluted city in 2024, with Delhi and Lahore close behind.
IQAir warns that 99% of the global population breathes air that does not meet WHO safety standards.
Centrist