Cities with the worst air pollution in 2024

And the world's most polluted city in 2024 according to the Air Quality Index project is Dhaka, the capital and largest city of Bangladesh. The PM2.5 here averages a noxious 114.5 µg/m3, which is perhaps not surprising as Dhaka is widely considered to be the most densely populated built-up urban area in the world.

Sources: (WHO) (AQI) (United Nations Environment Programme) (IQAir) (Statista) (Guinness World Records)

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25. Tianjin, China -

At number 25 in the rankings is the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. Here the average PM2.5 is 44.9 µg/m3. That's 1.2 times above the recommended limit.

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24. Baghdad, Iraq -

Baghdad, the capital city of Iraq, also has a PM2.5 of 44.9 µg/m3.

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23. Taiyuan, China -

Taiyuan, the capital and largest city of China's Shanxi province, has a PM2.5 of 45.2 µg/m3.

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22. Chandigarh, India -

The PM2.5 of the northern Indian city of Chandigarh is 45.8 µg/m3.

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21. Visakhapatnam, India -

Despite being located on the coast, Visakhapatnam, the largest and most populous city in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, has a PM2.5 of 46.8 µg/m3.

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20. Dubai, United Arab Emirates -

The PM2.5 in Dubai is 47.8 µg/m3. The most populous city in the UAE is also currently the most polluted of the country's seven emirates.

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19. Kathmandu, Nepal -

Its location in a low valley on a high plateau means Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, tends to trap polluted air, edging the PM2.5 up to 48.5 µg/m3.

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18. Shijiazhuang, China -

Shijiazhuang, the capital and most populous city of China's Hebei province, has a PM2.5 of 48.6 µg/m3.

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17. Lanzhou, China -

Located on the banks of the Yellow River in northwestern China, Lanzhou, the capital and largest city of Gansu province, currently records an PM2.5 of 49.5 µg/m3.

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16. Xinxiang, China -

A city undergoing exponential growth, Xinxiang's PM2.5 is 51.6 µg/m3. It's located in China's northern Henan province.

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15. Lucknow, India -

The capital and the largest city of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow has a PM2.5 of 53.1 µg/m3.

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14. Zhengzhou, China -

A major hub of China's domestic and international transportation network, Zhengzhou, in Henan province, has a PM2.5 of 53.3 µg/m3.

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13. Ghaziabad, India -

Ghaziabad is the largest city in western Uttar Pradesh. Its PM2.5 is 53.5 µg/m3.

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12. Dushanbe, Tajikistan -

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11. Anyang, China -

Another city in China's Henan province blighted by air pollution, Anyang has a PM2.5 of 54.6 µg/m3.

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10. Peshawar, Pakistan -

The capital of the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it is the largest city, Peshawar's PM2.5 is 56.2 µg/m3.

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9. Xuchang, China -

And China's Henan province is again cited by the AQI as a region with high air pollution levels, with Xuchang recording a PM2.5 of 57.0 µg/m3.

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8. Xi’an, China -

Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, has an unhealthy PM2.5 of 57.9 µg/m3.

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7. Muzaffarnagar, India -

The industrial city of Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh edges the PM2.5 to a worrying 62.4 µg/m3.

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6. Urumqi, China -

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5. Delhi, India -

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4. New Delhi, India -

Almost 35 million people live in New Delhi, the capital of India. With a average PM2.5 of 65.9 µg/m3, the city is notorious for its harmful air pollution levels.

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3. Patna, India -

The third most polluted city in 2024 is Patna, the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Bihar. Patna's PM2.5 is 67.0 µg/m3.

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2. Lahore, Pakistan -

Lahore, the second largest city in Pakistan, after Karachi, is also the world's second most polluted city, averaging a PM2.5 of 95.1 µg/m3.

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1. Dhaka, Bangladesh -

Sources: (WHO) (AQI) (United Nations Environment Programme) (IQAir) (Statista) (Guinness World Records)

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Cities with the worst air pollution in 2024

Breathing in bad air can promote the onset of stroke, lung cancer, heart disease, and respiratory disorders

23/04/24 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Environment

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 99% of the global population breathes unclean air, and air pollution causes seven million premature deaths a year. Indeed, air pollution remains a prevalent health crisis around the world.

PM2.5 concentration (measured as micrograms per cubic meter, or µg/m3), which refers to inhalable particulate matter with a diameter equal to or less than 2.5 micrometers, poses the greatest health threat and is often used as a metric in legal air quality standards. WHO sets a recommended annual limit of 5µg/m3 as an indicator of clean air. However, many cities are recording dangerous levels of air pollution, in some cases 15 times above safe levels!

Using average PM2.5 levels, the Air Quality Index (AQI) project has recently put together the 2024 updated ranking of the 25 cities with the worst air pollution in the world. As a general guide, air quality with a PM2.5 (μg/m3) of between 0-12.0 is considered good; 12.1-35.4 is moderate; 35.5-55.5 is unhealthy for sensitive groups; 55.6-150.4 is unhealthy; PM2.5 150.5-250.4 is very unhealthy; and 250.5 or greater is hazardous.

Are you holding your breath? Click through and discover the world’s most polluted cities.