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Top 10 most polluted cities in the world (2024-25): 6 of them are in India

World's Most Polluted Cities in 2024-25: India, the fifth most polluted country in the world, is home to 13 of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world, according to the latest report by IQAir.

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World's Most Polluted Cities in 2024-25: Enlisted are the most polluted cities in the world, with Indian cities dominating the list. (File Image)World's Most Polluted Cities in 2024-25: Enlisted are the most polluted cities in the world, with Indian cities dominating the list. (File Image)

World’s Most Polluted Cities in 2024-25: Out of 138 countries and regions assessed, 126 (representing 91.3%) exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO) annual guidelines for PM2.5 concentrations, the 2024 World Air Quality Report published by IQAir, recently highlighted. Notably, Central and South Asia host the world’s top seven most polluted cities, with India being home to 13 of the 20 cities identified as the most polluted globally.

Notably, Byrnihat, situated on the border of Assam and Meghalaya, has been identified as the most polluted city in the world, recording a staggering annual average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 μg/m³, meanwhile, Delhi remains the most polluted national capital globally for the sixth consecutive year, with an average PM2.5 concentration of 91.8 μg/m³, as reported in the 2024 World Air Quality Report.

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In contrast, approximately 17% of global cities adhered to the WHO’s air quality guidelines, with the Oceania region standing out as the least polluted area in the world for 2024, with its three countries maintaining annual average PM2.5 levels below the WHO’s recommended limit.

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IQAir Global Map of Most and Least Polluted Regions in 2024 2024 Global Map colour-coded by annual average PM2.5 concentration. (Source: IQAir)

Top 10 most polluted global cities with the worst AQI in 2024-25

Rank City Country PM2.5 in 2024
1 Byrnihat India 128.2
2 Delhi India 108.3
3 Karaganda Kazakhstan 104.8
4 Mullanpur India 102.3
5 Lahore Pakistan 102.1
6 Faridabad India 101.2
7 Dera Ismail Khan Pakistan 93
8 N’Djamena Chad 91.8
9 Loni India 91.7
10 New Delhi India 91.6

Source: IQAir

PM2.5 Legend (Source: IQAir) PM2.5 Legend (Source: IQAir)

Methodology: The report has relied on data from 40,000 air quality monitoring stations across 8,954 locations in 138 countries, territories and regions, which has been analysed by IQAir’s air quality scientists.

Here’s the complete list of the top 20 most polluted cities in the world:

global air pollution Most polluted cities in the world in 2024.
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Cherry Gupta
Cherry Gupta
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Cherry Gupta is an Assistant Manager – Content at The Indian Express. She leads the Top 10 section, curating list-based features on key national and international developments, and manages daily news content. She also produces SEO-driven articles and collaborates with the Lifestyle team to conduct interviews with notable artists and write workplace culture features. ... Read More

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