Pakistan Tops World Smog Rankings in 2025: A Global Air Quality Crisis

In 2025, Pakistan was ranked as the world's most polluted country with extremely high PM2.5 levels, far exceeding WHO guidelines. This alarming report, published by IQAir, highlights the global air quality crisis, identifying several countries struggling to meet health standards, alongside the impact of data gaps in pollution monitoring.

According to a report by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir, Pakistan was ranked as the world's smoggiest country in 2025, with PM2.5 levels soaring up to 13 times above the World Health Organization's recommended limit. This poses a significant concern for global air quality and health standards.

The report revealed that 130 out of 143 countries failed to meet WHO's PM2.5 guideline, highlighting a pressing global issue. Bangladesh and Tajikistan followed Pakistan in this list, while data gaps likely affected Chad's previous top position.

The United States' decision to cease its pollution data monitoring program has further complicated global assessments, leaving information gaps significant enough to exclude countries like Burundi and Turkmenistan from the report. With India housing the top 25 most polluted cities, global health impacts loom large.

(With inputs from agencies.)