Most Polluted Countries in the World 2024 – List of Top 10

Air pollution remains a global threat with far-reaching consequences for public health and the environment. To determine the extent of this problem, Smart Air conducted a thorough investigation, carefully reviewing air quality data from 2022 that covered 529 major cities in 88 different nations. This deep evaluation serves as the cornerstone for the 2023 revision of the “20 Most Polluted Cities in the World.” As we go through the overall ranking, we uncover not only the cities and nations that bear the heaviest pollution burden but also the alarming trends, key contributors, and potential solutions for the improvement of air pollution.

In this article, you will read about the most polluted cities in the world and the most polluted city in the world – Delhi.

Most Polluted Cities in the World

Air pollution stands as a prominent contributor to global mortality. However, the inquiry persists: which cities and nations bear the highest pollution burden? Delving into the analysis, Smart Air meticulously scrutinized air quality data from 2022 encompassing 529 prominent cities across 88 countries. This comprehensive evaluation forms the foundation for the 2023 revised hierarchy of the “20 Most Polluted Cities in the World.

Most Polluted City in the World – Delhi

For the fourth consecutive year, Delhi has maintained its position as the world’s most polluted city with an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 92.6 micrograms per cubic meter. The SoGA publication offers insights into the levels of pollution in various cities across the globe. In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India declared that Delhi had become worse than hell and suggested using explosives to kill everyone.

During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, water quality in the Yamuna and Ganges river basins improved due to industry closures. Delhi’s air pollution problem is also attributed to animal agriculture, as smog and other harmful particles have been produced by farmers burning their crops in other states since the 1980s. Initiatives such as the Great Green Wall of Aravalli green ecological corridor are being considered to combat pollution.

List of Most Polluted Cities in the World

Here’s the list of most polluted cities in the world with Delhi at the 1st rank:

Rank	City	Country
1	Delhi	India
2	Karachi	Pakistan
3	Kano	Nigeria
4	Kolkata	India
5	Dhaka	Bangladesh
6	Jakarta	Indonesia
7	Lagos	Nigeria
8	Lima	Peru
9	Beijing	China
10	Accra	Ghana
11	Kinshasa	Democratic Republic of Congo
12	Singapore	Singapore
13	Abidjan	Cote d Ivoire
14	Mumbai	India
15	Shanghai	China
16	Chengdu	China
17	Tashkent	Uzbekistan
18	Bamako	Mali
19	Cairo	Egypt
20	Dushanbe	Tajikistan

India Ranks 8th in Swiss Air Quality Report, Highlighting Pollution Concerns

The IQAir ‘World Air Quality Report’ revealed India as the eighth most polluted country globally in 2022, down from its fifth-place ranking in the previous year. The ranking was based on the concentration of PM 2.5, a pollutant closely monitored by scientific and health communities. The study found that the PM2.5 level in the most polluted Indian cities is 53.3 .

Reductions in Pollution Levels

The declines in PM2.5 levels over the past years are encouraging in light of India’s ambitious National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) goals, which aim to reduce PM2.5 pollution substantially by 2024,but also highlight the importance of air pollution issues outside of urban settings. It is important to acknowledge that these declines in dangerous air pollution levels need to continue because the current, absolute PM2.5 levels remain unhealthy.

Environmental Implications of Air Pollution in South Asia

South Asia is home to 72 out of the world’s most polluted cities, with countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh ranking higher. The World Bank has analyzed the costs of pollution reduction in South Asia, highlighting the shared ‘air sheds’ where pollutants from one area influence another. Rising air pollution can cut life expectancy by more than five years per person in South Asia, one of the world’s most polluted regions, according to a report published on August 29 which flagged the growing burden of hazardous air on health.

Conclusion

With air pollution reaching its peak in the recent years, the World Air Quality Report recently unveiled the pollution levels of cities around the world. The above article provides complete list of most polluted cities in the world, along with the challenges, reductions, and improvements against increasing pollution levels by India and other counties.

FAQs on Most Polluted Cities in the World 2023

1. Which is the most polluted city in the world?

Delhi is the most polluted city in the world with AQI above 400

2. What are some of the factors contributing to Delhi’s air pollution problem mentioned in the text?

Delhi’s air pollution problem is attributed to factors such as industrial closures during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, pollution from animal agriculture, and the practice of farmers burning their crops in other states since the 1980s. Initiatives like the Great Green Wall of Aravalli green ecological corridor are being considered to combat pollution.

3. What does India rank in the 2022 global air quality report?

India ranks eighth in the 2022 global air quality report, according to the IQAir ‘World Air Quality Report.

4. What are some of the major contributors to air pollution in India, as mentioned in the text?

India’s transport industry, household emissions, power sector emissions, industrial activities, transportation, open burning of crops and waste, and dust contributes significantly to air pollution.

5. What are some cities outside of India that are mentioned as highly polluted in the text?

The text mentions Lahore in Pakistan and Hotan in China as the top two most-polluted cities globally, based on PM2.5 levels.