World Air Quality Report 2024

News– According to the 2024 World Air Quality Report, Delhi remains the most polluted capital city in the world, with an average PM 2.5 concentration of 91.8 μg/m³. World Air Quality Report 2024.

About World Air Quality Report 2024

• Published by– Swiss organisation IQAir every year.
• The 2024 World Air Quality Report assesses global air quality for the year 2024.
• It provides a detailed analysis of PM2.5 levels from 8,954 cities across 138 countries, regions, and territories.

Key Findings for India

• Delhi remains the most polluted capital city in the world, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 91.8 μg/m³.
• The report also highlights that 13 of the 20 most polluted cities globally are in India, with Byrnihat (Assam-Meghalaya border) being the most polluted.
• Other highly polluted cities include Faridabad, Loni (Ghaziabad), Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Bhiwadi, Noida, Muzaffarnagar, New Delhi (Central Delhi), and Delhi (citywide average).
• India ranks as the fifth most polluted country in the world, with an average Air Quality Index (AQI) of 50.6 μg/m3 . It is 10 times higher than the WHO’s recommended annual limit of 5 μg/m³.
  • In 2023, India was ranked the third most polluted country.

Particulate Matter (PM) Particulate matter, or PM, is the term for particles found in the air, including dust, dirt, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. They remain suspended in the air for long periods of time. Some particles are visible as soot or smoke due to their size or color, while others are so tiny that they can only be seen with an electron microscope. Read more- Particulate Matter (PM)