{"id":1191395,"date":"2023-03-11T19:11:12","date_gmt":"2023-03-12T00:11:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/global-air-pollution-ranked-by-country\/1191395\/"},"modified":"2023-03-11T19:11:12","modified_gmt":"2023-03-12T00:11:12","slug":"global-air-pollution-ranked-by-country","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/global-air-pollution-ranked-by-country\/1191395\/","title":{"rendered":"Global Air Pollution Ranked By Country"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/div>\n

Global Air Pollution Ranked By Country<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

Global air pollution declined by\u00a031%<\/strong>\u00a0during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, demonstrating a link between economic activity and air quality.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Visual Capitalist’s Jenna Ross details below, this graphic from\u00a0The Hinrich Foundation<\/a>, the fourth in a five-part series on the sustainability of trade, explores how air pollution varies by economy<\/strong>. It pulls data from the 2022 Sustainable Trade Index, which The Hinrich Foundation produced in collaboration with the IMD World Competitiveness Center.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

What is Air Pollution?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

In this dataset, air pollution is measured using fine particulate matter known as PM2.5.\u00a0These particles are less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which is about\u00a028 times smaller<\/strong>\u00a0than the diameter of human hair. They are made up of things like combustion particles, compounds, and metals.<\/p>\n

Not only does their presence cause the air to become hazy, they also pose the greatest health risk compared with any other pollutant. When they are inhaled into the lungs, they can cause respiratory diseases and even death. In fact, air pollution is one of the world\u2019s\u00a0leading risk factors for death<\/a>, and is linked to\u00a012% of deaths\u00a0<\/strong>globally.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A Geographic Breakdown of Pollution<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Air pollution levels have a wide spectrum around the world. Countries with lower GDP per capita tend to have higher pollution because they have less stringent air quality regulations, congested transportation systems, and rapidly developing industrial sectors. They also prioritize basic necessities such as food and shelter. On the other hand, high income economies can afford cleanup technologies such as filters that trap airborne particles.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The following table shows how air pollution breaks down for select economies that are covered in the\u00a02022 Sustainable Trade Index<\/a>. Numbers indicate micrograms of PM2.5\u00a0particles per cubic meter, with higher numbers indicating more pollution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Rank<\/th>\nEconomy<\/th>\nPM2.5 per Cubic Meter<\/th>\nIncome Level of Economy<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
1<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf3\ud83c\uddff New Zealand<\/td>\n6<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
2<\/td>\n\ud83c\udde6\ud83c\uddfa Australia<\/td>\n7<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
3<\/td>\n\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6 Canada<\/td>\n7<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
4<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 United States<\/td>\n8<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
5<\/td>\n\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddf3 Brunei<\/td>\n8<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
6<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\udde7 United Kingdom<\/td>\n10<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
7<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddfa Russia<\/td>\n12<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
8<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5 Japan<\/td>\n14<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
9<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddec Papua New Guinea<\/td>\n16<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
10<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddfc Taiwan<\/td>\n16<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
11<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfe Malaysia<\/td>\n17<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
12<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\udded Philippines<\/td>\n19<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
13<\/td>\n\ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddf0 Hong Kong<\/td>\n19<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
14<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\uddec Singapore<\/td>\n19<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
15<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\udde9 Indonesia<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
16<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddf0 Sri Lanka<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
17<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddfd Mexico<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
18<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddfb\ud83c\uddf3 Vietnam<\/td>\n20<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
19<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\udde8 Ecuador<\/td>\n21<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
20<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\udde6 Laos<\/td>\n21<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
21<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\udded Cambodia<\/td>\n22<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
22<\/td>\n\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddf1 Chile<\/td>\n24<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
23<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\udded Thailand<\/td>\n27<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
24<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf7 South Korea<\/td>\n27<\/td>\nHigh<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
25<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddf2 Myanmar<\/td>\n30<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
26<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddea Peru<\/td>\n31<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
27<\/td>\n\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddf3 China<\/td>\n48<\/td>\nMedium<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
28<\/td>\n\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\udde9 Bangladesh<\/td>\n64<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
29<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf0 Pakistan<\/td>\n64<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
30<\/td>\n\ud83c\uddee\ud83c\uddf3 India<\/td>\n83<\/td>\nLow<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

India<\/strong>\u00a0has the most polluted air of the economies in the Sustainable Trade Index. As a developing country with a large population, there are multiple contributing factors. For instance, agricultural burning, biomass combustion for cooking, and vehicle emissions all worsen the problem. The country is also the\u00a0second-largest consumer of coal<\/a>, and lacks tight emission standards on industries such as metal smelters and oil refineries.<\/p>\n

The Philippines<\/strong>\u00a0has low air pollution relative to its GDP per capita. This could be because 34% of its energy comes from renewable sources. Notably, the Philippines has the third-highest\u00a0geothermal power<\/a>\u00a0capacity in the world. However, the country still faces considerable pollution issues, primarily due to vehicle emissions.<\/p>\n

Want more insights into trade sustainability?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Download the\u00a02022 Sustainable Trade Index\u00a0<\/a>for free.<\/em><\/p>\n

New Zealand\u00a0<\/strong>has the least polluted air of the economies in the index. Its good air quality is thanks in part to its low population density and island geography. The country is also impacted by large scale wind patterns which promote westerly winds and aid in pollutant dispersion. In order to further reduce pollutants, New Zealand is requiring vehicles to meet stricter emission standards.<\/p>\n

Economic Activity and Air Pollution<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Air pollution has severe consequences for the environment and human health. It is worsened by aggressive industrialization and some commercial activities. In fact, it\u2019s estimated that industry accounts for\u00a012%\u00a0<\/strong>of PM2.5\u00a0particles globally. Industrial dust, energy production, and transportation are also significant contributors.<\/p>\n

Of course, air pollution is just one variable that can help determine an economy\u2019s trade sustainability. The Sustainable Trade Index uses a number of other metrics to measure economies\u2019 ability to trade in a way that balances economic growth, societal development, and environmental protection. To learn more, visit the\u00a0STI landing page<\/a>\u00a0where you can download the report for free.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tyler Durden<\/a><\/span>
\nSat, 03\/11\/2023 – 23:00<\/span><\/p>\n

From:Zerohedge<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Global Air Pollution Ranked By Country Global air pollution declined by\u00a031%\u00a0during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, demonstrating a link between economic activity and air quality. As…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1191395","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1191395","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1191395"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1191395\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1191395"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1191395"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bugaluu.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1191395"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}