IQAir world air quality series
The World Air Quality Report is an annual research series assessing global air quality using ground-level PM2.5 monitoring data. It provides consistent country, regional and city-level comparisons, supported by transparent methodology and harmonised datasets to inform policy, research and investment analysis.
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OVERVIEW
Overview
The World Air Quality Report is an annual benchmark series initiated in 2018 that provides a consistent, global assessment of ambient air quality. It is produced to support comparability across countries, regions and cities using a standardised framework.The series is designed to improve transparency and accessibility of air quality information for policymakers, researchers, investors and the public. It supports long-term tracking of air quality conditions and monitoring coverage across geographies.
Methodology
The benchmark is based on empirically measured, ground-level PM2.5 data collected from regulatory monitoring stations and calibrated low-cost sensors. Data are validated, harmonised and aggregated through a centralised platform, with city-level results used to derive population-weighted country and regional indicators. World Health Organization air quality guidelines are used as the reference framework for data presentation.
Use for finance professionals
Finance professionals can use this benchmark to assess environmental exposure, identify air quality-related risk contexts, support ESG analysis, and inform geographic screening for investments, lending, insurance and supply chain assessments. The series also enables year-on-year comparability and integration into broader climate, health and sustainability analysis frameworks.
