Clean Air Is Now Rare: Only 13 of 143 Places Pass the WHO Test

IQAir's 2025 World Air Quality Report found 91% of countries exceed the WHO annual PM2.5 limit of 5 µg/m³ — just 13 jurisdictions, mostly islands, still qualify.

The top 3

1. French Polynesia Has the Cleanest Air on the Planet: At just 1.8 µg/m³ annual PM2.5, French Polynesia tops all 143 ranked countries and territories, ahead of Puerto Rico (2.4) and the U.S. Virgin Islands (2.5).
2. Iceland: Europe's Cleanest Lungs: Iceland's 3.7 µg/m³ makes it one of only three European entries — alongside Andorra and Estonia — to meet the WHO guideline in the 2025 report.
3. The 22x Gap: How the Other 91% Breathes: Pakistan ranked most polluted country at 67.3 µg/m³, and the world's worst city — Loni, India, at 112.5 µg/m³ — exceeds the WHO guideline more than 22-fold.

Sources

• IQAir – World's Most Polluted Countries Ranking
• IQAir Newsroom – 2025 World Air Quality Report

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