Countries Ranked by PM2.5 air pollution exposure (2023)
PM2.5 air pollution exposure: each country's latest value (2018–2023), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Qatar ranks #1 with 107.8 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure). Saudi Arabia is second with 73.5 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure), 46.6% behind. The top five are Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Nigeria and Niger. The median across all 200 is 17.3 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure); Greenland is last at 1.64 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- #1
- Qatar · 107.8 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure)
- Median
- 17.3 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure)
- Coverage
- 200 countries
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 200. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Qatar
Qatar ranks #1 on this list with 107.8 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Doha
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 2.97 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$215.56 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$72,525 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 82.5 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 99.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Doha.
Also ranks #1 in male population share · #1 in population ages 15-64 share · #1 in labour force participation rate.
#2 Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia ranks #2 on this list with 73.5 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Riyadh
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 36.97 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.28 trillion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$34,537 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 79 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 84.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Riyadh, Jeddah, Medina.
Also ranks #2 in population growth rate · #2 in crop production index · #4 in internet users share.
#3 Bangladesh
Bangladesh ranks #3 on this list with 69.3 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Dhaka
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 175.69 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$456.32 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,597 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 74.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 33.2% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dhaka, Chittagong, Gazipur.
Also ranks #1 in arable land share · #2 in irrigated land share · #2 in low-birthweight babies share.
#4 Nigeria
Nigeria ranks #4 on this list with 65.7 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Abuja
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 237.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$290.79 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,224 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 54.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt.
Also ranks #1 in under-5 mortality rate · #1 in maternal mortality ratio · #1 in children out of school (primary).
#5 Niger
Niger ranks #5 on this list with 65.2 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Niamey
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 27.92 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.65 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$775.4 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 18.4% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Niamey.
Also ranks #1 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #2 in under-5 mortality rate · #3 in population ages 0-14 share.
#6 Kuwait
Kuwait ranks #6 on this list with 62.3 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Kuwait City
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 4.87 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$157.21 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$32,312 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 84.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kuwait City.
Also ranks #1 in fertiliser consumption · #2 in access to sanitation · #3 in population ages 15-64 share.
#7 Pakistan
Pakistan ranks #7 on this list with 58.4 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Islamabad
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 255.22 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$407.31 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,596 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 39.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Karachi, Lahore, Faisalabad.
Also ranks #1 in diabetes prevalence · #2 in children out of school (primary) · #3 in rural population.
#8 United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates ranks #8 on this list with 57.2 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Abu Dhabi
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 11.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$552.32 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$50,274 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 83.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 86% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah.
Also ranks #1 in population growth rate · #1 in internet users share · #2 in male population share.
#9 Bahrain
Bahrain ranks #9 on this list with 56.6 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Manama
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 1.6 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$48.97 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$30,597 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 81.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in urban population share · #1 in immunisation (measles) rate · #2 in internet users share.
#10 Cameroon
Cameroon ranks #10 on this list with 55.6 µg/m³ (mean annual exposure).
- Capital
- Yaoundé
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 29.88 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$58.93 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,972 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.7% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Douala, Yaoundé, Garoua.
Also ranks #11 in pupil-teacher ratio (primary) · #15 in age dependency ratio (young) · #15 in birth rate.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
PM2.5 air pollution exposure: each country's latest value (2018–2023), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter): Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.