Delhi identified most polluted capital city in the world for the fourth consecutive time

New Delhi: India became the world’s third most polluted country last year out of 134 countries, according to a report by the Swiss organisation IQAir.

The report titled, ‘World Air Quality Report 2023’, stated that with an average air annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre, the country was better than only two of its neighbouring countries Bangladesh and Pakistan.

While Bangladesh remained the most polluted country in the world, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 79.9 micrograms per cubic metre, Pakistan was second, with a level of 73.7.

In the year 2022, India held the eighth position as the most polluted country, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 53.3 micrograms per cubic meter.

The report identified Delhi as the most polluted capital city in the world for the fourth consecutive time.

Delhi’s PM2.5 concentration was recorded at 92.7 micrograms per cubic metre in 2023, an increase from 89.1 micrograms per cubic metre in 2022.

Begusarai, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 118.9 micrograms per cubic metre, surpassed all other metropolitan areas this year,
despite not being included in the previous year’s rankings.

The report indicated that a significant portion of India’s population, around 1.36 billion people, are exposed to PM2.5 levels surpassing the WHO guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic metre.

Furthermore, 1.33 billion people, equivalent to 96 percent of the Indian population, are experiencing PM2.5 levels exceeding the WHO standard by seven times.