Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2023

Source: World Bank

Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2023

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Key Findings

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Qatar leads in PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) with 107.80 in 2023.

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Average PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) in 2023: 56.98 · median: 54.85.

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Gap in 2023: Qatar is 2.6× larger than Equatorial Guinea.

About This Dataset

Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2023

Countries ranked by PM2.5 air pollution (micrograms per m3) in 2023, using World Bank figures for the 200 countries that reported that year. Qatar leads on 107.8, ahead of Saudi Arabia (73.5) and Bangladesh (69.3). The population-weighted average exposure to fine particles smaller than 2.5 micrometres, in micrograms per cubic metre. It is modelled from satellite readings and ground monitors, because most countries have too few monitors for a direct national average.

Analysis

Qatar (107.8), Saudi Arabia (73.5) and Bangladesh (69.3) take the top three. Across the twenty shown, values run from 107.8 down to 42.2, a spread of 65.6. Most of that spread sits between first and second alone (34.3 of 65.6), so Qatar stands apart from the rest of the table. 11 of the 20 reach half the leading figure, 53.9 or more. The chart shows the twenty highest of 200 reporting countries, so it describes the top of the distribution rather than the world average.

Data Insights Below

Data Insights

Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart

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Data Points

20 categories · 1 year

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Top Value

107.80

Qatar

PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) · 2023

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Metrics

PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3)

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Period

2023

Single year snapshot

Methodology & source

Data source: World Bank
Coverage: 20 entities · 2023 · 20 observations
Measure: PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3)
Last updated: 6 September 2026
Compiled by: The ANYSTAT team, from the source above

How the figures are calculated

Values use the measure and unit named on this page. Consult the dataset description and cited source for coverage, definitions and any unit conversions. Displayed values may be rounded for readability.
Entities are ranked highest-first on their value in 2023.

Rankings & Full Data

20 records · PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) · ranked by 2023

✓ 20 sourced

#	Category	2023
🥇	Qatar	107.80
🥈	Saudi Arabia	73.50
🥉	Bangladesh	69.30
4	Nigeria	65.70
5	Niger	65.20
6	Kuwait	62.30
7	Pakistan	58.40
8	United Arab Emirates	57.20
9	Bahrain	56.60
10	Cameroon	55.60
11	India	54.10
12	Nepal	53.20
13	Iraq	49.50
14	Oman	46.90
15	Yemen	46.80
16	Mauritania	46.50
17	Egypt	43.10
18	Chad	43
19	Mongolia	42.70
20	Equatorial Guinea	42.20

Data Sources & References

All external sources cited in this dataset

1 https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3 Visit ↗

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How these countries rank across all our charts

Each country's page lists its position in every ranking on ANYSTAT.

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APA

ANYSTAT. (2026). Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2023 [Data set]. Data: World Bank. https://anystat.ai/stats/1463/countries-with-the-most-polluted-air-2023-1788721163

MLA

"Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2023." ANYSTAT, 6 Sep. 2026, https://anystat.ai/stats/1463/countries-with-the-most-polluted-air-2023-1788721163.

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<a href="https://anystat.ai/stats/1463/countries-with-the-most-polluted-air-2023-1788721163">Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2023</a> (ANYSTAT)

Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2023