10 Most Polluted Countries in the World in 2022

The global data site *Numbeo* has just released the *Pollution Index by Country 2022*. This index measures the level of air and water pollution in countries worldwide.

Numbeo's pollution index combines data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and several other related institutions. The higher the index score, the more polluted the air and water in that country.

Of the 115 countries listed, Cameroon ranks first as the most polluted country with a pollution index score of 93.08.

Air quality in Cameroon is considered very poor due to an annual average PM2.5 concentration reaching 73 g/m³. This figure far exceeds the WHO's clean air standard, which has a PM2.5 threshold of 10 g/m³.

Mongolia is ranked second with an index score of 92.04. Pollution levels in the country, whose capital is Ulan Bator, are reported to be very high due to industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust fumes, and chemicals dispersed in the air.

Myanmar is ranked third with an index score of 89.61. According to a World Bank report, Myanmar has experienced a very high increase in air pollution, particularly in urban areas. Pollution has been increasing since 2011, when urbanization in major cities began to accelerate.

Air pollution in Myanmar is also estimated to have caused more than 45,000 deaths in 2017. Pollution in the country is recorded as higher than that of its neighboring countries, reaching twice the average pollution level in Southeast Asia.

Here is a list of the 10 countries with the worst pollution in the world based on the 2022 pollution index:

1. Cameroon: 93.08
2. Mongolia: 92.04
3. Myanmar: 89.61
4. Lebanon: 89.27
5. Ghana: 88.98
6. Nigeria: 88.32
7. Afghanistan: 86.83
8. Vietnam: 85.52
9. Monaco: 85.25
10. Bangladesh: 84.99

(Also read: [Indonesia's Environmental Quality Index Improved in 2021](https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2022/02/07/indeks-kualitas-lingkungan-hidup-indonesia-meningkat-pada-2021))