A British company has cross-referenced data to come up with a map ranking the world’s worst and least toxic countries.

Using data from the International Energy Agency and World Health Organization, the energy savings comparison company Eco Experts ranked each countries performance based on five criteria: energy consumption, carbon dioxide emissions, deaths attributed to air pollution and renewable energy production.

The ranks for each country were then averaged to give an overall impression of a country’s toxicity.

“This research is a way of naming and shaming the worst offenders around the world,” Jon Whiting, SEO manager for the Eco Experts, said in a press release. “Their lack of action against emissions not only puts their populations at risk of deadly pollution-related diseases but also threatens the future of our planet. These threats are not distant concerns for future generations; their effects are being felt now and lives are already being lost. This research highlights the need for every country to act fast and put more investment into renewable energy alternatives.”

The least toxic country in the world is Kenya, followed by Tanzania, Ethiopia, Mozambique and Cameroon, according to Eco Experts.

Saudi Arabia ranks as the most toxic, with pollution surpassing both India and China, followed by Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In fact, of the top 10 most toxic countries, eight are in the Middle East.

The research found that countries in the Middle East have some of the highest numbers of deaths attributable to air pollution. Turkmenistan, for example, has the highest, with 108 deaths per 100,000 each year.

Surprisingly to some, perhaps, Canada is the most toxic in North America and Mexico is the least. The United States falls in the middle and ranks 66th worldwide.

Source: The Weather Channel