"The world's 25 most polluted cities were all located in India, Pakistan and China, with India home to three of the four most polluted,” the report said. "In the United States, annual average PM2.5 levels increased to 7.3 µg/m³. The end of the US State Department's global air quality monitoring programme at embassies and consulates in March 2025 caused millions to lose access to air quality data. "Air quality is a fragile asset that requires active stewardship to protect public health,” said IQAir global CEO Frank Hammes. “The 2025 World Air Quality Report makes clear that without monitoring, we cannot fully understand what's in the air we breathe.

Source: The Telegraph March 25, 2026 01:01 UTC