Bangladesh most polluted country in the world

Bangladesh is the most polluted country in the world while Dhaka is the second most air polluted city in 2021.

IQAir, a Swiss company that makes air quality monitors and air purification technologies, revealed ‘The 2021 World Air Quality Report’ on Tuesday.

The report analysed PM 2.5 air pollution measurements from air monitoring stations in 6,475 cities of 117 countries, regions and territories.

Central and South Asia had some of the world's worst air quality and were home to 46 of the world's 50 most polluted cities, the report stated analysing the pollution data of total 6,475 cities collected in 2021.

The reading of small and hazardous airborne particles known as PM2.5 in Bangladesh averaged at 76.9 micrograms per cubic meter last year.

The country was followed by Chad and Pakistan in terms of PM2.5 exposures in the list of the world's most polluted countries.
To put things into perspective, WHO recommends that average annual readings of PM2.5 should be no more than 5 micrograms per cubic metre.

Also, Dhaka was ranked the second most polluted capital city in the world (PM2.5 level - 78.1) while neighbouring India's New Delhi topped the list (PM2.5 level - 85).

Meanwhile, Chad's N'Djamena was recognised as the third most polluted capital city in the world with pollution levels averaging at 77.6.

The report finds that only three percent of cities and no single country met the latest World Health Organization's (WHO) PM 2.5 annual air quality guidelines.

WHO revised its air quality guidelines last year citing that even low concentrations caused significant health risks.

According to the findings of the survey, not a single country managed to meet the WHO set air quality standard in 2021.