Kazakhstan’s Karaganda – the heartland of the nation’s coal and metallurgical industries – was ranked as the world’s third most polluted city in 2024, according to the 2024 World Air Quality Report released by IQAir.
The report evaluates global air quality for 2024, presenting PM2.5 air pollution data collected from 8,954 cities across 138 countries, regions, and territories. PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, is measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) and is a key indicator of air pollution.
Karaganda recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 104.8 µg/m³ in 2024. In comparison, Byrnihat, India, the world’s most polluted city, had an average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 µg/m³.
Central Asian Cities in the Global Ranking
Among the world’s most polluted cities, Central Asia’s major cities ranked as follows:
- Dushanbe, Tajikistan – 176th, PM2.5: 46.3 µg/m³
- Tashkent, Uzbekistan – 510th, PM2.5: 31.4 µg/m³
- Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan – 1009th, PM2.5: 21.2 µg/m³
- Almaty, Kazakhstan – 1072nd, PM2.5: 20.3 µg/m³
- Astana, Kazakhstan – 1608th, PM2.5: 15.4 µg/m³
Kazakhstan’s Regional Air Quality Standing
In the ranking of the world’s most polluted countries, Kazakhstan had the best air quality in Central Asia, ranking 71st globally. Other regional rankings were:
- Tajikistan – 6th most polluted country
- Uzbekistan – 19th
- Turkmenistan – 26th
- Kyrgyzstan – 41st
Global Air Pollution Trends
According to the report, only 17% of global cities met the World Health Organization (WHO) air pollution guideline for PM2.5. The seven countries that met the WHO’s annual average PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m³ were:
- Australia
- Bahamas
- Barbados
- Estonia
- Grenada
- Iceland
- New Zealand
The five most polluted countries in 2024 were:
- Chad – 91.8 µg/m³ (more than 18 times higher than the WHO guideline)
- Bangladesh – 78.0 µg/m³ (more than 15 times higher)
- Pakistan – 73.7 µg/m³ (more than 14 times higher)
- Democratic Republic of the Congo – 58.2 µg/m³ (more than 11 times higher)
- India – 50.6 µg/m³ (more than 10 times higher)
A total of 126 out of 138 countries (91.3%) exceeded the WHO’s annual PM2.5 guideline of 5 µg/m³.
Air Pollution’s Impact on Human Health
The report underscores that air pollution remains the greatest environmental threat to human health. According to the WHO, 99% of the global population lives in areas that do not meet recommended air quality levels.
Air pollution is the second leading global risk factor for death and the second leading cause of death among children under five, following malnutrition. The health effects of air pollution include respiratory diseases, developmental issues, and increased mortality.
In 2021 alone, 8.1 million deaths were attributed to air pollution, with 58% of those deaths caused by ambient PM2.5 pollution.
