2020 World Air Quality Report (IQAir Report 2020)

The 2020 World Air Quality report (IQAir Report 2020) aggregates PM2.5 data from 106 countries, collected from ground-based government monitors and a growing network of validated, non-governmental air quality monitors contributed by organizations and individuals in order to learn from the world’s largest air pollution database. 

The IQAir report measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM 2.5, which is measured by ground-based monitoring stations.

As per the report, India was home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities, spanning 106 countries, which means India continues to feature prominently at the top of the most polluted cities ranking.

The IQAir report seeks to empower individuals, organizations and communities to breathe cleaner air through information, collaboration and technology solutions.

South Asia represents the world’s most polluted region, containing 37 of the 40 most polluted cities globally. The most polluted countries in the region have numerous cities that average US AQI measurements of “Unhealthy” (> 55.5 μg/m3) or worse:

• Bangladesh: 80% of cities
• Pakistan: 67% of cities
• India: 32% of cities

Only 3 cities in the region met annual PM2.5 exposure targets (< 10 μg/m3):

• Dambulla (Sri Lanka)
• Sanandaj (Iran)
• Digana (Sri Lanka)

As with every other global region (aside from North America), Central and South Asia observed air quality improvements in 2020. The 25 most polluted cities in this region (with historical air quality data available) observed either direct improvements from 2019 or overall improvements over the last 4 years.

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