Top 10 Most Polluted Countries in the World

Living in one of the cleanest countries in the world ensures a happy and healthy life not just for you, but for your family especially your young children who need a special care and living in a clean place that is free from pollution or at least is not very polluted. There are several countries around the world that are ranked as the most polluted countries on earth thanks to having the dirtiest air that is more than enough for destroying the respiratory system.

The polluted air contains countless particles such as dirt, smoke, pollen, mould and more particles that pollute the air and are fine in size which makes them more dangerous since they can be easily inhaled to accumulate in the respiratory system which causes many chronic diseases that are difficult and may be impossible to be cured which finally leads to certain death and this is exactly what happened in 2012 when 3.7 million people died out of air pollution.

Those polluted countries are not necessarily poor as there are rich countries that also suffer from having dirty air. The best indicator that is used for assessing health impacts that result from air pollution is PM2.5 and measuring the concentration of air pollution is in (ug/m3) micrograms per cubic meter of air. Here is a quick glance at the top 10 most polluted countries in the world with the dirtiest air and the highest levels of air pollution. The countries that are presented here are ranked on the basis of the average PM2.5 pollution.

10. Bahrain – 57 ug/m3

It is considered to be the cleanest country on our list since it is ranked as the 10^th most polluted country in the world with an average PM2.5 pollution of 57 ug/m3. Bahrain is not one of the most populous countries in the world since it has a total population of about 1.3 million people only and the GDP (PPP) per capita in the country is high as it is $28,559 making it the 12^th country in the world by GDP, however, the country suffers from high levels of air pollution. Life expectancy in Bahrain is 76 for females and 73 for males. The main causes behind air pollution in Bahrain include smoke, dust, industrial co2 emissions and energy production.

9. India – 59 ug/m3

It is the 9^th country in the world in terms of having a high level of air pollution and 4^th as highest CO2 emissions. The average PM2.5 pollution in India is 59 ug/m3. The country has a total population of about 1.2 billion people to be the 2^nd most populated country in the world and the GDP (PPP) per capita is low as it is just $5,777. Life expectancy for women in India is 69.6 and 67.3 for men. There are 6 cities in India that are ranked among the most polluted cities that have the highest level of air pollution in the world and these cities are Delhi 1^st, Patna 2^nd, Gwalior 3^rd, Raipur 4^th, Ahmedabad 9^th and Lucknow which is the 10^th most polluted city in the world. Air pollution in India is caused by vehicle emissions, industrial emissions, construction sites and high population.

8. United Arab Emirates – 61ug/m3

It is widely renowned for being one of the richest countries in the world and is also highly ranked as the 8^th most polluted country since the average PM2.5 pollution in it is 61 ug/m3. The United Arab Emirates has a total population of about 9.2 million and its GDP (PPP) per capita is high as it is estimated to be $30,984. Life expectancy in the country is 76.7 years which is higher than other Arab countries. Al Gharbia is considered the most polluted city in the country and in an attempt to solve the problem of air pollution in the country, Dubai launched in 2010 an annual car free day.

7. Mongolia – 64 ug/m3

It is ranked as the 7^th most polluted country in the world with an average PM2.5 pollution of 64 ug/m3. The total population in the country is estimated to be about 2.96 million people and the GDP (PPP) per capita is low as it is just $5,371. The average life expectancy in the country is just 68.5 years and this may show the effect of pollution. The most polluted city in the country is Darkham and pollution results from burning coal for heating and overcoming the surrounding weather which is extremely cold.

6. Egypt – 74 ug/m3 

Egypt comes as the 6^th most polluted country in the world as the average PM2.5 pollution in it is 74 ug/m3. Egypt is also among the most populated countries in the world as its population is estimated to be approximately 87.4 million people and the GDP (PPP) per capita in the country is not high at all as it is just $6,714. Life expectancy in Egypt is little bit high as it is 75.20 years for females and 71.30 for males. The most polluted cities in Egypt can be found in the Delta area and Cairo which is the capital city is also among the most polluted cities in the world. Air pollution in Egypt is caused by the emissions of factories and vehicles and burning coal and wood for heating.

5. Iran – 76 ug/m3

It is the 5^th most polluted country in the world by the average PM2.5 pollution which is 76 ug/m3. The country has a total population of about 77.17 million people which is high and the GDP (PPP) per capita is also high as it is $12,478. The average life expectancy in Iran is 74 years and the main reason behind increasing air pollution in the country is the large amount of dangerous particles that can be found in air such as carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, asbestos and nitrogen oxide that are inhaled by those who live in Iran. The most polluted city in Iran is Khoramabad since it is ranked as the 8^th country in the world in terms of having the worst air.

4. Bangladesh – 79 ug/m3 

The average PM2.5 pollution in Bangladesh is 79 ug/m3 which makes the country the 4^th most polluted country in the world. The GDP (PPP) per capita in Bangladesh is low as it is $3,167 only and the total population is high as it is estimated to be 156.59 million people which has a great impact on the air and increasing its pollution. Life expectancy in Bangladesh is estimated to be 70 years for both men and women. There are 3 cities in Bangladesh that are ranked among the top 25 cities that have the worst air quality and the most polluted city in Bangladesh is Narayonganj while the other two cities are Gazipur and Dhaka.

3. Afghanistan – 84 ug/m3 

It is ranked as the 3^rd most polluted country in the world with an average PM2.5 pollution of 84ug/m3. It has a total population of 31.2 million people and the GDP (PPP) per capita is extremely low as it is estimated to be just $1,177. The average life expectancy in the country is almost 60 years for both men and women. The most polluted city in Afghanistan is Kabul which is the capital city of the country. The number of people who die every year in Kabul out of air pollution is estimated by the Afghanistan government to be 3000 deaths. Using diesel generators and burning plastic bags and tires for fuel are responsible for increasing the level of air pollution.

2. Qatar – 92 ug/m3 

It is difficult to believe that this country is ranked here for many reasons. It is widely known as the richest country in the world and instead of helping in solving the problem of air pollution in the world, it increases the crisis to be ranked here among the countries that have the dirtiest air in the world. The average PM2.5 pollution in Qatar is 92 ug/m3 making the country ranked as the 2^nd most polluted country in the world. Qatar is not one of the most populated countries in the world as its population is estimated to be 2.15 million people but the GDP (PPP) per capita is extremely high and is the highest in the whole world as it records $96,903 making those who stay in Qatar enjoy living the most luxurious life in the world by the money that they have.

The life expectancy in Qatar is relatively high as it is 77.95 for females and 78.54 for males. The most polluted cities in Qatar are Doha which is the capital city and is ranked as the 12^th most polluted city in the world and there is also Al Wakrah which is the 25^th city in the world in terms of having bad air quality. The main reasons that are responsible for increasing the bad quality of air in Qatar are construction and air traffic that is usually busy.

1. Pakistan – 101 ug/m3 

The highest level of air pollution and the worst quality of outdoor air can be found in Pakistan. The average PM2.5 pollution in this country is 101 ug/m3 making Pakistan the most polluted country in the world. Pakistan is among the most populated countries in the world with a total population of 196.17 million people and the GDP (PPP) per capita is $4,699 only. The life expectancy in Pakistan is low as it is 63.6 for males and 65.4 for females. The Pakistani cities that are highly ranked for having the worst quality of air are Karachi which is ranked as the 5^th most polluted city in the world, Peshwar 6^th and Rawalpindi which is the 7^th. The dirty outdoor air in Pakistan is responsible for over 80,000 hospital admissions a year with cases ranging from low respiratory problems to chronic bronchitis.

Is there any other polluted country that you know and deserves to be ranked here?