Only 7 countries in the world breathe truly clean air. This does not apply to Latvia

Only seven countries in the world have recorded safe levels of air pollution in 2023, says a new report Swiss company IQAir, specializing in air quality control technologies.

Published this week, the World Air Quality Report is based on data from more than 30,000 monitoring stations in 134 countries, territories and regions.

Of these, 124 were found to exceed safe levels of PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

These microscopic particles, less than 2.5 microns in diameter, can travel deep into the lungs and even into the blood. They are linked to heart and lung disease, high blood pressure, increased risk of asthma, depression and anxiety, and premature death.

Which seven countries meet safe air quality levels?

The seven countries that meet the safe level of five micrograms per cubic meter of air (µg/m3) or less include Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius and New Zealand.

Puerto Rico, Bermuda and French Polynesia are also below safe levels.

In Europe, the cleanest air was in Iceland – 4 µg/m3, followed by Estonia – 4.7 µg/m3 and Finland – 4.9 µg/m3. Latvia was not included in this list; the air level in our country was 8 μg/m3.

A color scale was used to indicate pollution levels, and many European countries fell into the green category, meaning levels twice the safe limit.

Starting with the least polluted countries, these include Sweden, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Liechtenstein, Denmark, Great Britain, Andorra, Latvia, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, France, Austria, Spain and Russia.

Since the 2022 report, European cities have shown improvement, with 54 percent of cities classified as green in 2023, up from 39 percent the year before.

How bad is the air pollution in other European countries?

Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Poland, Cyprus, Slovenia and Italy fell into the yellow category – indicating pollution levels three times higher than the safe limit.

In 2023, Croatia showed the most progress in reducing PM2.5 levels, with the annual average falling by more than 40 percent compared to 2022. This was achieved thanks to the increased use of renewable energy sources, which now account for more than 31 percent of the country’s energy mix, well above the EU average of 23 percent.

Croatia has also introduced policies to phase out coal by 2033, reduce methane emissions to 30 percent below 2020 levels by 2030, and end deforestation by 2030.

Moldova, Romania, Albania, Greece, Turkey, Serbia and Montenegro fell into the orange category – up to five times higher than the safe level.

Bosnia and Herzegovina saw an 18 percent drop in PM2.5 levels in 2023 compared to 2022, but remains the most polluted country in the region, followed by North Macedonia – both in the red category with pollution levels above safe levels in Five times.

Igdir in Turkey is the most polluted city in Europe, with PM2.5 levels nine times higher than the safe limit.

Which countries are the most polluted in the world?

The countries with the worst air quality are concentrated in South and Central Asia, where the 10 most polluted cities in the world are located.

Bangladesh took an unenviable first place (from the bottom) with a reading of 79.9 µg/m3 – more than 15 times higher than the annual WHO standard for PM2.5.

In second place from the bottom was Pakistan with a level 14 times higher than safe standards. India follows with PM2.5 levels 10 times higher than normal. The country is also home to four of the most polluted cities in the world, with the industrial Begusarai in the northeast of the country being the worst.

Tajikistan and Burkina Faso were the fourth and fifth most polluted countries, both with PM2.5 levels nine times higher than safe limits.

For the first time in the history of six IQAir reports, Canada is the most polluted country in North America, home to 13 of the region’s most polluted cities.

Why is air quality data important?

Air quality reports serve as an important call to action to reduce pollution levels, which tend to be highest in areas where vulnerable and underrepresented populations live.

Due to a lack of data for African countries, a third of the continent’s population does not have access to air quality data, meaning many could not be included in the study.

“A clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a universal human right,” says Frank Hammes, CEO of IQAir. In many parts of the world, a lack of air quality data is delaying decisive action and causing unnecessary human suffering.”

“Air quality data saves lives. Where there is air quality data, action is taken and air quality improves.”

According to Aidan Farrow, senior air quality scientist at Greenpeace International, efforts are urgently needed to “tackle the causes of transboundary haze and reduce our dependence on burning fuels for energy.”

“Air pollution will remain a global health disaster in 2023,” he says. “IQAir’s global dataset serves as an important reminder of the inequities that lead to it and the need to implement the many solutions that exist to address this problem.”