India has dropped from fifth to eighth place in terms of the world’s most polluted countries in 2022.  According to this World Air Quality Report 2022 by the IQAir, out of the 50 most polluted cities in the world, 39 are in India.

The 2022 World Air Quality Report reviews the status of air quality around the world for the year 2022. This report presents PM2.5 air quality data from 7,323 cities across 131 countries, regions, and territories. The data used in this report was aggregated from over 30,000 regulatory air quality monitoring stations and low-cost air quality sensors. These monitoring stations and sensors are operated by governmental bodies, research institutions, non-profit non-governmental organizations, universities and educational facilities, private companies, and citizen scientists across the globe. The PM2.5 data in this report is measured in units of micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3) and incorporates the 2021 World Health Organization (WHO) air quality guidelines and interim targets as a basis for data visualization and risk communication.