The country with the dirtiest air in the world

Added: 2026-06-02

[00:00:00]This is the dirtiest country in the world, but the dirt here isn't under your feet. It's hanging in the air. In winter, the city is covered by a gray haze. Buildings disappear and the horizon vanishes before the street even ends. Cars drive with their headlights on in broad daylight. The smog devours everything around. And this isn't fog, it's exhaust fumes, smoke from burning fields, factories, brick kilns, and just plain burning trash. All of it hangs in the air between the buildings. You can walk around a pile of garbage, you can avoid drinking dirty water, but you can't help but breathe the air. Kids go to school wearing masks, not because of a virus, but because the air is dangerous. The wealthy install air purifiers, while the poor, well, they just go to work. Visitors notice it on their very first day, but the locals, well, they stopped paying attention a long time ago. Not because it's normal, but because there's no other choice.

[00:00:50]According to IQAir, in 2025, the dirtiest air in the world is in Pakistan.