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Journalism of Courage
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.
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.
| 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
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.
