Air quality in China's cities is among the worst in the world and industrial water pollution has become a widespread health hazard. Moreover, emissions of climate-warming greenhouse gases from energy use are rapidly increasing.
China is, by far, the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide, putting more than twice as much into the air each year as the U.S. does. But per person, the U.S. emits twice as much carbon dioxide as China does.
China ranks 55th in this year's CCPI and is among the very low performing countries. China receives a very low rating in the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories and a medium in Renewable Energy and Climate Policy.
High levels of air pollution in China's cities cause 350,000–400,000 premature deaths. Another 300,000 die because of poor-quality indoor air. There are an additioanl 60,000 premature deaths each year because of poor water quality.
Last year, 65 of the 100 most polluted cities were in India, while China had just 16, according to IQAir. Previously, it was China that dominated the list: In 2017, about three-quarters of IQAir's tally of the world's most polluted cities were in China, while 17 were in India.
Hygiene and sanitation
Although China has made great efforts of making sanitary facilities and safe water more accessible, there are water and sanitation disparities all over China.
Estonia, a small European country located near the Baltic Sea, is ranked as the cleanest country in the world. It scored 75.3 in the EPI 2024 report. It ranks highest due to its greenery, freshwater sources, clean air and water. The second country on the list is Luxembourg; it scores 75 in the EPI 2024 report.
Specifically, the proportion of cities with a high quality of life is 22.91%, the proportion of cities with a low quality of life is 35.41%, while the proportion of cities with a medium quality of life is only 11.4%. Overall, the quality of life in Northeast China is low and significantly lower than in other regions.
The remarkable level of cleanliness, its widespread presence, and the commitment to keeping everything clean are interesting and unique features of Japan.
HEALTH RISKS OF WATER POLLUTION
Fluorosis due to drinking water and arsenic poisoning still threaten Chinese residents' health. According to 2018 China's Health Statistics Yearbook, there were 77,292 villages with fluorosis due to drinking water nationwide, which represents 2.1% of all villages in China.
Copenhagen, Denmark: The cleanest city on the planet
Notable facts: the country's GDP has grown by 100% since 1980, while energy consumption has only increased by 6% and water consumption has been reduced by 40%. Currently, the energy mix exceeds 30%, and it is expected to achieve energy independence by 2050.
All of China's energy production is No 1 in the world. Steel production, cement, most building materials. China's motor car production is also the highest in the world. Due to demographics, just about anything China produces will be number one in volume.
Which are the most polluted countries in the world? The countries with the worst air quality were concentrated in South and Central Asia, home to the top 10 most polluted cities in the world. Bangladesh took the unenviable top spot, with 79.9 µg/m3 - more than 15 times higher than the WHO PM2.5 annual guideline.
According to the Global Burden of Disease study, ambient PM2. 5 pollution was responsible for approximately 1.4 million premature deaths in China in 2019. Thanks to the campaign, the average PM2. 5 concentration dropped by 50 percent, from 72 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) in 2013 to 36 μg/m³ in 2019.
2- China: China is the world's most populous country. In 2021, it surpassed the United States of America to first place on the list of the world's wealthiest countries. According to the IMF, it is now the world's second-largest economy.
Updated to reflect a shift to Level 2 “Exercise increased caution” for Mainland China. Summary: Exercise increased caution when traveling to Mainland China due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans.
South Korea has the highest level of environmental pollution among OECD countries. With a population density of 492 people per square kilometer, it ranks third in the world, with more than half of the population living in the Seoul metropolitan area, which accounts for 11.8% of the land area.
From cool coastlines and lush tropical rainforests, to the rich red earth of the Outback, Australia boasts an incredibly clean and diverse environment. Our air quality is ranked among the cleanest in the world and our cities are some of the most liveable.
China's happiness index according to the UN 2013-2023. According to the UN's World Happiness Report, China's happiness index ranged at 5.97 points in 2023.
Feeling like an outsider. Although Chinese society is welcoming and Chinese people are friendly to foreigners, regularly failing to understand the culture or language can make you feel isolated.
According to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, China had approximately 2,000 shelters and 20,000 social workers to aid approximately 3 million homeless people in 2014. From 2017 to 2019, the government of Guangdong Province assisted 5,388 homeless people in reuniting with relatives elsewhere in China.
Singapore is literally the cleanest place on earth, except its public toilets. Nowhere in Italy or Australia is as clean. Some places in Japan can easily be grimier. You can't tightly control an actual-sized country like the miniature Singapore where the authority can exert their control more thoroughly.