Swiss technology company IQAir, which focuses on air quality monitoring, reports that only 12 regions, 7 of which are countries, had the best air quality in 2024.
These regions achieved an average air quality meeting World Health Organization (WHO) standards, namely a PM2.5 concentration below 5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³).
"Globally, only 12 countries or regions recorded PM2.5 concentrations below the WHO guideline of 5.0 µg/m³, mostly located in Latin America and the Caribbean or Oceania," wrote IQAir in a report cited on Thursday (March 13, 2025).
The Bahamas ranked first with the cleanest air quality last year, with an average PM2.5 concentration of only 2.3 µg/m³.
Second was Bermuda, with a PM2.5 concentration of 2.5 µg/m³. French Polynesia achieved the same air quality score, ranking third.
Fourth was the Virgin Islands, at 2.6 µg/m³. Puerto Rico and Montserrat followed, both with the same air quality level of 2.7 µg/m³.
The remaining regions with top air quality include Barbados, Grenada, Iceland, New Zealand, Australia, and Estonia, as shown in the graph.
Christi Chester-Schroeder, IQAir's Air Quality Science Manager, told Reuters on Tuesday (March 11, 2024) that several factors influence air quality, including climate change.
Climate change plays an increasingly significant role in worsening pollution. Higher temperatures lead to more intense and prolonged wildfires that have swept across parts of Southeast Asia and South America.
(Read Katadata: Only Seven Countries Meet WHO Air Quality Standards in 2024)