IQAir report: India ranks as the world's fifth most polluted country
Air pollution reducing life expectancy by an estimated 5.2 years
Source: IQAir Edited by: IH News Desk
NATIONAL, March 11, 2025: India ranks as the world's fifth most polluted country in 2024, down from third in 2023, according to the World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss air quality technology company IQAir. The report found that India saw a 7% decline in PM2.5 concentrations in 2024, averaging 50.6 micrograms per cubic metre, compared to 54.4 in 2023.
Alarmingly, 13 of the world's 20 most polluted cities are in India. The high pollution level in Byrnihat, a town in Meghalaya on the border of Assam, is attributed to emissions from local factories.
Delhi faces high air pollution year-round worsening in winter due to unfavorable meteorological conditions and vehicular emissions. Air pollution remains a serious health risk in India, reducing life expectancy by an estimated 5.2 years.
A Lancet Planetary Health study found that about 1.5 million deaths in India every year from 2009 to 2019 were potentially linked to long-term exposure to PM2.5 pollution.