Survey: S. Korea Ranks 54 of 117 Countries in Ultra Fine Dust Levels

Written: 2022-03-22

Photo : YONHAP News

A new international survey has found air quality in South Korea registered a slight improvement last year compared to the year before. 

Swiss air quality tech company IQAir released a report on Tuesday which compared the average densities of fine particulate matter in the air, known as PM2.5, in six-thousand-475 cities across the globe in 2021. 

Among the 117 countries surveyed, South Korea had the 54th highest PM2.5 concentration at 18-point-nine micrograms per cubic meter. 

The country’s PM2.5 level slightly rose from 24 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018 to 24-point-eight micrograms per cubic meter in 2019. However, it fell to 19-point-five micrograms per cubic meter in 2020 before further improving to the latest level. 

As for Seoul, its average PM2.5 level was 19-point-seven micrograms per cubic meter last year, coming in at the 45th highest among the capital cities of all surveyed countries. It improved from 20-point-nine micrograms per cubic meter a year earlier.