Most Polluted Cities
City↕ | Country↕ | PM2.5 Annual Avg↕ | Typical AQI↕ | Main Sources↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Lahore | Pakistan | 99 | 250 | Crop burning, vehicles, industry | Worst winter smog season, schools closed for air quality |
Delhi | India | 92 | 245 | Stubble burning, vehicles, dust | Gas chamber headlines, Diwali firework spikes |
Dhaka | Bangladesh | 80 | 210 | Brick kilns, vehicles, construction | Persistent haze, brick kiln belt |
Kolkata | India | 65 | 170 | Coal, vehicles, biomass | Second-most polluted Indian megacity |
N'Djamena | Chad | 90 | 200 | Sahara dust, biomass burning | Sahelian dust storms, extreme particulate levels |
Mumbai | India | 47 | 130 | Vehicles, construction, industry | Coastal but worsening winter air |
Kabul | Afghanistan | 86 | 190 | Coal heating, diesel generators | Winter coal smog, deadly cold season pollution |
Beijing | China | 38 | 120 | Coal, vehicles, dust | 2013 Airpocalypse, improving thanks to strict regulation |
Tashkent | Uzbekistan | 62 | 155 | Aral Sea dust, industry | Central Asian dust and pesticide particulate |
Jakarta | Indonesia | 40 | 125 | Vehicles, coal plants | Worst capital in Southeast Asia for air |
Hanoi | Vietnam | 43 | 135 | Motorbikes, industry | Red River delta smog trapped in basin |
Cairo | Egypt | 63 | 160 | Vehicles, agricultural burning, desert dust | Black cloud from rice straw burning |
Tehran | Iran | 38 | 125 | Vehicles, old refinery, topography | Mountain-basin trap, yearly school closures |
Santiago | Chile | 30 | 110 | Vehicles, wood heating | Andes valley traps winter smog |
Mexico City | Mexico | 25 | 95 | Vehicles, altitude, topography | Historically among worst, major improvements since 1990s |
Ulaanbaatar | Mongolia | 78 | 180 | Coal ger stoves | World's coldest capital, extreme winter coal pollution |
Kathmandu | Nepal | 50 | 145 | Vehicles, brick kilns, dust | Himalayan bowl traps polluted air |
Lucknow | India | 86 | 195 | Vehicles, biomass, dust | Uttar Pradesh capital, consistently in global top 10 |
Baghdad | Iraq | 67 | 170 | Dust storms, vehicles, generators | Dust-choked diesel haze |
Karachi | Pakistan | 48 | 140 | Vehicles, industry, port activity | Coastal breeze helps, still unhealthy |
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Frequently asked questions
How is the Most Polluted Cities list ranked?
The Most Polluted Cities list is currently sorted by the source data's default ordering. Community voting is not enabled on this dataset.
How many entries are in this Most Polluted Cities dataset?
This dataset contains 20 entries, each with multiple sortable, filterable columns. The full table is visible on this page and can be downloaded as a CSV, JSON, or Excel file.
Can I download the Most Polluted Cities data?
Yes. The download buttons at the top of the page give you the full 20-row dataset as CSV, JSON, or Excel. Use of the data is permitted under a Creative Commons Attribution license — credit dtbse.com when you republish.
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