Post by : Shakul

Taiwan has made notable progress in air quality, with its annual average PM2.5 concentration dropping to 13.3 micrograms per cubic meter in 2025, down from 17.5 in 2024, according to a report by IQAir Group. This improvement lifted Taiwan’s ranking among the world’s most polluted countries and regions from 54th to 74th.

The IQAir report, which analyzed data from 9,446 cities in 143 countries, noted that global air quality worsened overall last year due to wildfires and emissions from fossil fuels and agriculture. Despite this, Taiwan has steadily reduced fine particulate matter pollution by 21% over the past six years.

The most polluted areas in Taiwan included Kinmen (18.4μg/m³), Kaohsiung (17.2μg/m³), Matsu (17.1μg/m³), Tainan (17μg/m³), and Chiayi City (15.5μg/m³). In contrast, the east coast saw the cleanest air, with Taitung’s Guanshan Township at 6.9μg/m³, Hualien City at 7.5μg/m³, and Yilan County at 9μg/m³. Taipei recorded an average of 10.4μg/m³.

IQAir highlighted that the 25 most polluted cities globally were concentrated in India, Pakistan, and China, with Loni, India, topping the list at 112.5μg/m³—over 22 times the WHO guideline. Meanwhile, Nieuwoudtville, South Africa, had the world’s cleanest air at 1μg/m³.

Officials in Taiwan emphasized the ongoing commitment to improving environmental standards, strengthening air quality monitoring, and implementing policies to further reduce pollution.

#world news #Global News #Asia News