Kazakhstan Ranks Among the Top 30 Countries with the Most Polluted Air

Pakistan Tops the List

Kazakhstan ranked 29th out of 143 countries in the global air quality ranking published by IQAir. In 2025, the country’s annual average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increased by 55%, rising from 15.1 to 23.4 µg/m³.

Among the Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan posted the best result. Tajikistan ranked third globally with a PM2.5 concentration of 57.3 µg/m³, Uzbekistan placed 10th with 38.1 µg/m³, and Kyrgyzstan ranked 19th. No data for Turkmenistan was included in the ranking.

Pakistan ranked first with a PM2.5 concentration of 67.3 µg/m³. The top five countries with the highest levels of air pollution also included Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The lowest level was recorded in French Polynesia at 1.8 µg/m³.

Air quality varies significantly across Kazakhstan. IQAir monitors air quality in 17 localities across the country. In Almaty, Astana, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Karaganda, and Temirtau, PM2.5 concentrations exceed the World Health Organization’s recommended level by at least three times. In Karaganda, the 2025 figure stood at 72.6 µg/m³, compared with 104.8 µg/m³ a year earlier.

Previously, the World Bank assessed air quality outlooks for Almaty and Astana through 2030. If current trends continue, PM2.5 concentrations could reach 63 µg/m³ in Almaty and 32.5 µg/m³ in Astana. However, if a comprehensive set of air quality improvement measures is implemented, those figures could be reduced to 18 µg/m³ and 8 µg/m³, respectively.

Photo: instagram.com/pashacas.

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