The report, released Tuesday, showed Bangladesh and Pakistan were the top two most polluted countries in 2023.India showed a relative decline as the country was ranked 8th in 2022, an improvement from 2021 when it had the 5th rank.
IQAir said 13 of the 15 most polluted cities in the world in 2023 were in India with Begusarai, Guwahati and Delhi being the top three.
At the same time, some Indian cities made the list for the right reasons. Silchar in Assam (7th), Aizawl in Mizoram (8th) and Damoh in Madhya Pradesh (15th) figured in the list of the least polluted cities in the central and south Asia region, home to many polluted cities in the world.
In 2023, only 10 out of the reporting 134 countries succeeded in achieving the WHO annual particulate matter PM2.5 standards of 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). Exposure to PM2.5, one of the key pollutants, leads to and exacerbates numerous health conditions, including asthma, cancer, stroke and lung disease.
The report, factoring in hazardous PM2.5 concentrations, found that Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration in 2023 had risen by 10% from 2022 with levels peaking in November, which saw a monthly average of 255 µg/m3.
The report analysed data from all air pollution monitoring stations in India and underlined that 1.36 billion people in India experience PM2.5 concentrations exceeding the WHO recommended annual guideline level of 5 µg/m3. Overall, India with PM2.5 concentrations of 54.5 µg/m3 reported 10 times higher pollution levels than the WHO PM2.5 annual standard.
“Furthermore, 1.33 billion, or 96% of the population, experience PM2.5 levels more than seven times the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline. This trend is reflected in city-level data with more than 66% of the country’s cities reporting annual averages greater than 35 µg/m3,” said the report.
It noted that India has an extensive air quality monitoring network, hosting more air quality monitoring stations than all other countries in the central and south Asian region combined. The vast monitoring network has contributed data from 256 cities in 2023, representing 74% of cities in the central and south Asia region.
Delhi Air quality deteriorates again, dips to ‘very poor’ category
For the 2023 report, data from more than 30,000 air quality monitoring stations across 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories and regions were analysed by IQAir’s air quality scientists.
“In many parts of the world the lack of air quality data delays decisive action and perpetuates unnecessary human suffering. Air quality data saves lives. Where air quality is reported, action is taken, and air quality improves,” said Frank Hammes, global CEO, IQAir.