India’s Smog Crisis: 6 of the World’s 9 Most Polluted Cities are in India.

(CNA Paris, 11th) — According to a report released today, despite some improvements in 2024, several Indian cities still dominate the list of the world’s most polluted cities. On a national level, Chad ranks as the country with the worst air pollution.

AFP reports that Swiss air quality technology company IQAir identified Byrnihat, India, as the "most polluted metropolitan area in the world in 2024."

New Delhi remains the world's most polluted capital city, followed by N'Djamena (Chad), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), and Islamabad (Pakistan).

Chad tops the list of countries with the worst overall air pollution, with its PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) levels 18 times higher than the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe standard.

Bangladesh, Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and India follow. Six of the nine most polluted cities globally are located in India.

Byrnihat, an industrial town on the border of Meghalaya and Assam, had an average PM2.5 concentration of 128.2 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024—more than 25 times the WHO’s recommended limit of 5 micrograms.

According to the IQAir report, which was supported by Greenpeace, India’s national average PM2.5 concentration was 50.6 micrograms per cubic meter, ten times the WHO's safe level.

Although this represents a 7% decrease compared to 2023, Indian cities continue to suffer from severe PM2.5 pollution caused by vehicle emissions, agricultural burning, garbage, and industrial waste.

The report states, "Oceania is the cleanest region in the world, with 57% of cities meeting the WHO's annual PM2.5 guideline."

(Translator: Shih-Yun Cheng / Editor: Si-Yen Yen)