Only 13 countries in the world comply with air quality standards. Where are Romania and the Capital
Only 13 countries and territories in the world respected the limits considered safe for air quality in 2025, according to the World Air Quality Report recently published by the Swiss company IQAir, reports News.ro. Romania is ranked 67th in the ranking of the most polluted countries, and the capital Bucharest is not among the ten most polluted localities in the country.
The report analyzed data from 9,446 cities in 143 countries, regions and territories. Only 14% of the cities assessed had safe air, down from 17% the previous year. In total, 91% of the analyzed countries did not respect the WHO limits.
In Europe, only Andorra, Estonia and Iceland have met the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) against pollution with fine PM 2.5 particles, set at a maximum of 5 micrograms per cubic meter.
PM 2.5 are very fine particles, less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter, which can penetrate deep into the lungs and reach the blood. They are associated with respiratory, cardiovascular and chronic diseases, including cancer.
What is Romania's situation?
Romania ranks 67th in terms of PM 2.5 particle pollution, and Moldova ranks 62nd. The index set for Romania is 15.4, which means the level of PM 2.5 is 3-5 times higher than the level considered safe. The value is almost identical to that of 2024, when it was 15.3.
In the ranking of the most polluted cities, Bucharest occupies the 1661 position, an index of 14.8, i.e. 2-3 times higher than the recommended values. The level of pollution in Bucharest experienced large variations depending on the season, so in January and February, the index rose to over 30, meaning that PM 2.5 particles exceeded the optimal level by 5-7 times. The cleanest air in Bucharest was recorded in the months of April, May, July, August and September, when the values were at most double those considered as safe.
In the top of the most polluted localities in Romania, Bucharest is only in 11th place, but around it there are a number of localities with a higher level of pollution: Olteni (1st place), Voluntari (5th place), Chiajna (9th place). Among the larger cities, Suceava ranks 10th.
Major causes of pollution
The World Air Quality Report shows a global deterioration of air quality, mainly influenced by climate change generated by human activity.
Smoke from wildfires had a major impact in 2025, along with dust storms and other extreme weather phenomena, intensified by the burning of fossil fuels.
In Europe, the year 2025 was marked by a severe wildfire season, with a peak in August, which affected agricultural land, forests and homes. Extreme weather phenomena have generated short-term economic losses of at least 43 billion euros, through heat waves, floods and drought.
Which are the most polluted countries?
The most polluted countries in the world are Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo. At the urban level, the 25 most polluted cities are in India, Pakistan and China. The city of Loni, in India, recorded the highest annual PM2.5 concentration of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter, more than 22 times the WHO limit. At the opposite pole, the town of Nieuwoudtville in South Africa had the lowest average annual concentration of 1.0 micrograms per cubic meter.
In Europe, 23 countries reported increases in the average annual concentration of PM 2.5 in 2025, while in 18 states levels were lower than the previous year.
Increases of more than 30% were observed in Switzerland and Greece, associated with smoke from North American fires and Saharan dust. Malta recorded the most significant decrease in the level of pollution with PM 2.5 particles, of almost 24%, against the background of the energy transition and measures to reduce traffic emissions.
Air monitoring, in decline
In March 2025, the US administration suspended the State Department's global air quality monitoring program, affecting access to data for millions of people. The Finland-based Center for Clean Energy and Air Research (CREA) reported that monitoring efforts had been reduced in 44 countries, and six were left with no monitoring system at all.
According to IQAir, expanding access to real-time data and reducing emissions are essential to improving air quality worldwide.
Air pollution is one of the main risk factors for public health. Constant exposure to polluted air is associated with respiratory diseases, cardiovascular diseases and other chronic problems. The impact is greater in urban areas (large agglomerations in cities) and in regions with high levels of emissions.
