Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2022

Source:  World Bank

Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2022

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Key Findings

🏆
Qatar leads in PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) with 111.90 in 2022.
📊
Average PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) in 2022: 59.73  ·  median: 57.25.
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Gap in 2022: Qatar is 2.7× larger than Egypt.

About This Dataset

Countries with the Most Polluted Air 2022
Countries ranked by PM2.5 air pollution (micrograms per m3) in 2022, using World Bank figures for the 200 countries that reported that year. Qatar leads on 111.9, ahead of Saudi Arabia (77.8) and Niger (74.6). 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 (111.9), Saudi Arabia (77.8) and Niger (74.6) take the top three. Across the twenty shown, values run from 111.9 down to 42.2, a spread of 69.7. Qatar is 1.44 times Saudi Arabia, the country in second place. 11 of the 20 reach half the leading figure, 56.0 or more. Qatar stood at 107.9 in 2021, so its figure rose by 4.0 over the year. Qatar also came first in 2021. Of the 20 in this table that also reported in 2021, 15 recorded a higher figure than the year before and 5 a lower one. The largest single move was Kuwait, from 62.0 to 74.5. 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

Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart

Admin
⬡
Data Points
20
20 categories  ·  1 year
↑
Top Value
111.90
Qatar
PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) · 2022
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Metrics
1
PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3)
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Period
2022
Single year snapshot

Methodology & source

Data source
World Bank
Coverage
20 entities · 2022 · 20 observations
Measure
PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3)
Last updated
7 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 2022.

Rankings & Full Data

20 records · PM2.5 Air Pollution (Micrograms per m3) · ranked by 2022

✓ 20 sourced
# Category 2022 Source
🥇 Qatar 111.90
🥈 Saudi Arabia 77.80
🥉 Niger 74.60
4 Kuwait 74.50
5 Nigeria 70.60
6 United Arab Emirates 67.70
7 Bangladesh 63.20
8 Bahrain 62.70
9 Iraq 59.50
10 Pakistan 57.90
11 Cameroon 56.60
12 Oman 52.10
13 India 50.70
14 Nepal 50.60
15 Yemen 47.10
16 Mauritania 45
17 Iran 43.90
18 Equatorial Guinea 43.60
19 Chad 42.40
20 Egypt 42.20

Data Sources & References

All external sources cited in this dataset

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