In the News
April 22, 2025
By Hassan Aftab Sheikh
Pakistan ranks among the world’s most polluted countries, with air quality indices consistently exceed hazardous thresholds, posing severe health risks. In 2024, the average particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration in Pakistan reached 73.7 micrograms per cubic meter, a 14 per cent increase from 2019. This placed Pakistan as the third most polluted nation globally.
Lahore, the country’s second-largest city, met the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards for PM2.5 on only seven days over the past five years. Poor air quality is directly linked to rising hospital admissions, particularly during smog season — in November 2024 alone, 70,000 respiratory-related cases were reported.
The World Bank estimates that outdoor air pollution in Pakistan causes 22,000 premature adult deaths and the loss of 163,432 disability-adjusted life years annually. Indoor pollution leads to 40 million acute respiratory infections and 28,000 deaths each year. The 2024 Air Quality Life Index reports that poor air quality reduces average life expectancy by 3.9 years, reaching up to seven years in highly polluted cities such as Lahore, Peshawar, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi. Hospitals have seen a sharp rise in pollution-related illnesses over the past decade, further straining Pakistan’s already burdened healthcare system.