List of World's Most Polluted Cities 2024

Brief About India's Pollution: India's air pollution crisis remains severe, with recent data from 2024 indicating that the situation has not improved significantly since previous years. The following updates reflect the current state of air quality in Indian cities, based on the latest reports from verified sources.\

In 2024, the average PM2.5 concentration across India is alarmingly high, with Byrnihat in Meghalaya recorded as the most polluted city at an average of 151.5 µg/m³. This level is over 30 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommended annual limit of 5 µg/m³.

List of World's Most Polluted Cities 2024

This data depicts the top cities with the highest levels of air pollution, primarily measured by their annual average concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5). The data indicates a significant presence of Indian cities, reflecting ongoing air quality challenges in the region.

About the Report

Air pollution is among the major environmental health risks; millions of premature deaths have been caused by it. The major pollutant quantified in this report refers to particulate matter as PM2.5, which is a very small particle less than 2.5 micrometres in diameter. The particles can penetrate deep into the lungs and even into the bloodstream and induce various health issues such as respiratory diseases, cardiovascular problems, and many other serious conditions.

This ranking is based on data from numerous monitoring stations distributed worldwide, measuring the air quality. The average annual concentration of PM2.5 is typically expressed in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). This ranking is determined according to cities in terms of the level of their PM2.5; the higher values reflect worse air quality.