IQAir: Azerbaijan leads South Caucasus in air quality

Azerbaijan has achieved significant improvements in air quality and ranks 59th in the global ranking by the Swiss air quality monitoring and purification company IQAir, according to Report, which cites the company.

The country has improved its performance from 2023 to 2025: the air quality indicator (PM2.5) stood at 18.8 µg/m³ in 2023, decreased to 18.3 µg/m³ in 2024, and further declined to 16.4 µg/m³ in 2025.

In 2025, Azerbaijan moved up 10 positions in the ranking compared to 2024, when it ranked 49th.

According to IQAir"s assessment, Azerbaijan is the leader in air quality in the South Caucasus. Georgia ranks 56th, although its air quality worsened from 16.4 µg/m³ (PM2.5) in 2023 to 16.9 µg/m³ in 2025.

As for Armenia, it ranks 24th, with air quality deteriorating from 26.4 µg/m³ (PM2.5) in 2023 to 26.9 µg/m³ in 2025.

IQAir analyzed data from 9,446 cities across 143 countries and territories.

The company also noted that only 14% of cities worldwide met the WHO guideline, which states that the annual average concentration of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m³.

PM2.5 particles are fine particulate matter generated primarily by the burning of fossil fuels. They can enter the lungs, pass into the bloodstream, and affect nearly every organ in the body. These particles are associated with a wide range of diseases, including diabetes and cancer.