Air pollution remains a global concern, ranking among the leading causes of mortality. Smart Air has meticulously analyzed PM2.5 data from the past 12 months for 529 major cities across 88 countries to present the updated list of the “Top 25 Most Polluted Cities in the World” for 2023.
The rankings are based on the concentration of PM2.5, a hazardous air pollutant, in the atmosphere in the year leading up to the publication date. The following cities have emerged as the most polluted:
- Dammam, Saudi Arabia (124.11 µg/m3)
- Lahore, Pakistan (111.63 µg/m3)
- Dhaka, Bangladesh (84.73 µg/m3)
- Delhi, India (84.39 µg/m3)
- Muzaffarnagar, India (81.35 µg/m3)
- Baghdad, Iraq (77.62 µg/m3)
- Ghaziabad, India (74.72 µg/m3)
- Patna, India (67.20 µg/m3)
- Hapur, India (67.02 µg/m3)
- Lucknow, India (63.65 µg/m3)
- East London, South Africa (60.69 µg/m3)
- Pokhara, Nepal (59.15 µg/m3)
- Manama, Bahrain (57.38 µg/m3)
- Chandigarh, India (53.16 µg/m3)
- Hawally, Kuwait (52.24 µg/m3)
- Khorramshahr, Iran (51.44 µg/m3)
- Jaipur, India (49.98 µg/m3)
- Xi’an, China (48.11 µg/m3)
- Kolkata, India (46.77 µg/m3)
- Anyang, China (46.64 µg/m3)
- Xinxiang, China (46.05 µg/m3)
- Kampala, Uganda (44.99 µg/m3)
- Xuchang, China (44.88 µg/m3)
- Bamako, Mali (44.88 µg/m3)
Notably, nine of the top 25 most polluted cities are in India, four in China, and two in Pakistan. Dammam, Saudi Arabia, climbed from 11th place last year to become the most polluted city globally, averaging 124.11 micrograms of PM2.5.
Despite a decrease in the number of Indian cities on the list, all cities ranked had air quality significantly exceeding the WHO recommended healthy limit. Other countries featured include Iraq, South Africa, Nepal, Bahrain, Iran, and Uganda.
Kuwait and Mali reappeared on the list after an absence the previous year. It’s worth noting that Africa and South America face challenges in reporting air pollution due to a lack of monitoring tools.
To gain a clearer understanding, the World Health Organization’s pollution heat map reveals that over 99% of people globally breathe unsafe air with high pollution levels.
The rankings were determined based on PM2.5 pollution levels, particles under 2.5 micrograms in width known for their ability to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. For those interested in the raw data, it is openly available for download on the AQI World Pollution Data platform.
As we continue to grapple with air pollution, Smart Air, a certified B Corp, remains committed to debunking myths surrounding clean air. They advocate for affordable, gimmick-free air purifiers, inviting everyone to join the clean air movement and experience the benefits of breathing truly clean air.
