“In early 2025, air quality in Baghdad was mostly acceptable to good, but at times, it deteriorated to unhealthy levels,” Luay al-Mukhtar, spokesperson for the Ministry of Environment, told Rudaw.
Iraq ranked as the sixth most polluted country in the world in 2023, according to IQAir, a global air quality monitoring company.
That year, the concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) - a hazardous mix of sulfates, black carbon, nitrates, and ammonium capable of entering the bloodstream through the lungs - exceeded the World Health Organization’s recommended limits by seven to ten times.
Exposure to these particles “causes and worsens several health issues, including asthma, cancer, strokes, and lung diseases,” according to IQAir.
Mukhtar linked air pollution to human activities, population density, numbers of vehicles, power generators, and industrial activity. “Since Baghdad is Iraq’s largest city, home to about a quarter of the country’s population, it has extensive industrial activity, along with a massive number of cars and generators, all of which contribute to its declining air quality,” he said.
However, he noted a “noticeable improvement” in air quality over the past year, attributing it to stricter environmental monitoring and enforcement. He highlighted the closure of 77 metal smelting furnaces and over 35 illegal brick factories in Baghdad as part of efforts to curb pollution.
Many other polluting activities have been shut down, he said, and the ministry, in collaboration with relevant authorities, is working to prevent burning of waste, which causes severe environmental problems.
Baghdad residents, the second-largest Arab capital by population, frequently complain of a strong sulfur odor in the air coming from the burning of unrefined heavy oil in numerous brick and asphalt factories on the city's outskirts.
In October 2024, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani formed a specialized committee to investigate pollution issues and the sulfur emissions after around 200 people were hospitalized due to air pollution.
Mukhtar said that other provinces have larger agricultural areas, smaller populations, and fewer industrial activities, particularly outside city centers, which contributes to better air quality compared to Baghdad.
In the past month, Baghdad has had four days when the air quality was “unhealthy,” 12 days when it was “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” and the rest was moderate, according to IQAir.
