The 2023 IQAir World Air Quality Report reveals a disparity in access to crucial air quality data, particularly in developing countries, where the scarcity of monitoring infrastructure leaves populations vulnerable to the unseen dangers of polluted air. 

Leveraging data from low-cost sensors alongside traditional air quality monitoring stations, the report not only highlights these severe disparities in air pollution exposure and data but also serves as a call to action for the international community to expand and enhance air quality monitoring networks.

The Global State of Air Quality

IQAir's 2023 World Air Quality Report draws its data from over 30,000 air quality monitoring stations across 7,812 locations in 134 countries, regions, and territories.

Only seven nations—Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand—met the World Health Organization's PM2.5 guideline. 

This stark revelation underscores the widespread challenge of air pollution and sets the stage for an examination of the report's critical insights.

Key Findings and Insights from the 2023 World Air Quality Report: 

The 2023 IQAir World Air Quality Report offers critical insights, underscoring the global urgency for action. Notably, the analysis unveils stark disparities in air quality across the globe:

• A mere seven countries like Australia, Estonia, and New Zealand met the WHO's PM2.5 guidelines (annual average of 5 µg/m³ or less).  
• On the other end of the spectrum, nations such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India grapple with PM2.5 levels that soar to more than ten times the WHO's recommended limits. These figures are not just numbers; they represent the daily reality of millions living under the shadow of severe air pollution.
• A widespread challenge becomes apparent as a total of 124 (over 90%) of the analyzed countries and regions exceed the guideline value of 5 µg/m³, pointing to a pervasive global health threat.
• Particularly concerning is the underrepresentation of continents like Africa in air quality data, where a significant portion of the population remains uninformed about the air they breathe, with much of population still lacking access to air quality data. 

A few other notable findings from the report:

• The top five most polluted countries in 2023 were:
• Bangladesh (79.9 µg/m³) more than 15 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline
• Pakistan (73.7 µg/m³) more than 14 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline
• India (54.4 µg/m³) more than 10 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline
• Tajikistan (49.0 µg/m³) more than 9 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline
• Burkina Faso (46.6 µg/m³) more than 9 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline
• Climate conditions and transboundary haze were major factors in Southeast Asia, where PM2.5 concentrations rose in nearly every country.
• The region of Central & South Asia was home to the top ten most polluted cities in the world.
• Begusarai, India was the most polluted metropolitan area of 2023. India was home to the four most polluted cities in the world.
• The most polluted major U.S. city was Columbus, Ohio. Beloit, Wisconsin was the most polluted city in the U.S.
• Las Vegas, Nevada was the least polluted major city in the U.S.
• For the first time in the report’s six year history, Canada was the most polluted country in Northern America, with the region's 13 most polluted cities located within its borders.
• 70% of the real-time air quality data in the region of Latin America & Caribbean comes from low-cost sensors.

The Pervasive Challenge of Air Pollution

While the number of countries and regions with air quality monitoring has steadily increased over the past six years, there remain significant gaps in government-operated regulatory air sensors in many parts of the world. 

"A clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is a universal human right,” said Frank Hammes, IQAir's Global CEO. “In many parts of the world, the lack of air quality data delays decisive action and perpetuates unnecessary human suffering. Air quality data saves lives. Where air quality is reported, action is taken, and air quality improves.” 

Low-cost air quality monitors, sponsored and hosted by citizen scientists, researchers, community advocates, and local organizations, have proven to be valuable tools to reduce gaps in air quality monitoring networks across the world.

Low-Cost Sensors Bridge the Data Divide

The struggle for air quality visibility is most acute in regions like Africa, where data scarcity not only masks the severity of pollution but also leaves communities vulnerable. The continent's vast areas with minimal monitoring underscore the urgent need for expanded environmental oversight. This lack of data representation is a barrier to formulating effective policies and interventions that could mitigate health risks associated with poor air quality.

Similarly, environmental justice communities across the globe face their unique challenges, magnified by the absence of comprehensive air quality data. In Iraq, the launch of the Air Quality Network by the MEED Foundation, in collaboration with IQAir, is a pioneering step towards bridging this data divide, offering a model for how low-cost sensors can bring air quality data and awareness to some of the world's most affected areas.

In the United States, areas like Indiana's coal mining regions and Beloit, Wisconsin, have also grappled with unseen air quality dangers. Here, citizen-led initiatives employing low-cost monitoring technologies have shed light on local air pollution issues, proving pivotal in mobilizing community action and advocacy for cleaner air. 

Low-cost sensors fill critical data gaps where traditional, government-operated monitoring stations are sparse or non-existent. By providing a detailed view of air pollution levels, temperature, humidity, and other environmental parameters, these devices enable a deeper understanding of pollution sources and trends. This real-time data not only enhances transparency and public engagement but also empowers communities, policymakers, and environmental groups to target interventions more effectively, advocate for change, and ultimately, improve public health outcomes.

“IQAir’s annual report illustrates the international nature and inequitable consequences of the enduring air pollution crisis,” said Aiden Farrow, Sr. Air Quality Scientist, Greenpeace International. “Local, national, and international effort is urgently needed to monitor air quality in under-resourced places, manage the causes of transboundary haze, and cut our reliance on combustion as an energy source.” 

As more regions around the world embrace low-cost monitoring, it is becoming clear that low-cost sensors are not just tools for data collection. They're catalysts for change, democratizing air quality information and fostering a global movement towards environmental justice and sustainable development.