Top 500 most polluted cities in the world năm 2024
|
Policies to reduce air pollution have led to improved air quality in Europe over the last three decades. However, in some European cities air pollution still poses risks to health. You can use the European city air viewer to check how the air quality was in your city over the past two years and to compare it with air quality in other cities across Europe. Show
Cities are ranked from the cleanest city to the most polluted, based on average concentration levels of fine particulate matter, (or PM2.5) over the past two calendar years. Fine particulate matter is the air pollutant with the highest impact on health in terms of premature death and disease. This tool is focused on long term air quality, as long-term exposure to air pollution causes the most serious health effects. In 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) updated its health-based guidelines for air quality, and recommended a maximum level of 5 μg/m3 for fine particulate matter for long term exposure in order to protect health. In 2008, the European Union (EU) set an annual limit value for fine particulate matter of 25 μg/m3 under policies to deliver clean air in Europe. The Ambient Air quality Directive 2008/50/EC is currently under revision to, among other things, align the EU standards more closely with the WHO recommendations. The viewer categorises air quality as:
In Europe, we benefit from the most comprehensive air quality monitoring network in the world. Here we present levels of fine particulate matter in over 350 cities from across EEA member countries. Data comes from on the ground measurements of fine particulate matter, taken by over 500 monitoring stations. According to the World Health Organization, the air in these 50 cities was found to be the most polluted in 2018. Air-quality monitoring devices worldwide tracked levels of dangerous particulates. The most harmful kind, called PM2.5, contains tiny particles small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs—a problem that contributes to an estimated 7 million premature deaths every year. We've ranked the cities here, from least to most polluted. 50. Linfen, ChinaTwelve years ago, Linfen was the most polluted city in the world, but even then, Beijing was making efforts to curb the city's coal-burning addiction. Nearly 200 coal-fired boilers were decommissioned, and natural gas heaters replaced coal ones in local homes. 49. Yanbu, Saudi ArabiaEmissions from oil refineries and dust from the desert both contribute to the poor air quality in Yanbu. 48. Pingdingshan, ChinaThis city in eastern China is one of the country's biggest coal producers. 47. Weinan, ChinaIn 2018, the annual mean for fine particulate matter in Weinan was 76 micrograms per cubic meter, more than seven times the World Health Organization's target value. 46. Shangqiu, ChinaShangqiu is 179 miles east of Pingdingshan in China's Henan province. It is traditionally a farming city, but some modern industry, like this textile factory, has been developed in Shangqiu since the 1990s. 45. Luohe, ChinaThis city is a manufacturing hub. Paper, leather, textiles, cigarettes and electronics are all produced here. The city is most famous for its massive ham-processing plant. 44. Zhengzhou, ChinaIn 2016, a man sued the Zhengzhou local government, seeking reimbursement for the cost of pollution masks he bought while visiting the city. 43. Shouguang, ChinaShouguang is an agricultural hub in China's Shandong province. 42. Al-Ahmadi, KuwaitThis photo shows smoke from a fire at a local oil refinery. Oil production and processing plants can release greenhouse gases and dangerous particulate pollutants. 41. Luoyang, ChinaTeams compete during the Dragon Boat Festival in Luoyang. The city's skyline is shrouded in smog. 40. Dongying, ChinaThis photo shows a damaged oil rig off the coast of Dongying in Shandong province. In 2017, Beijing shut down 30 oil refineries in the province to decrease industrial air pollution. 39. Barisal, BangladeshThe Health Effects Institutes' State of Global Air survey showed that the entire population of Bangladesh — around 168 million people — has been consistently exposed to unhealthy levels of fine particulates in the air since 1990. 38. Zaozhuang, ChinaA traffic policeman directs drivers on a heavy smog day in Zaozhuang. 37. Dezhou, ChinaA farmer rides a bike down a country road on a hazy day in Dezhou. In 2007, Himin Solar Energy Group began to develop Dezhou into a hub for renewable-energy tech companies. 36. Gazipur, BangladeshA train emerges from the haze during the annual Bishwa Ijterna gathering of Muslim devotees. 35. Xianyang, ChinaThis aerial photo shows the weather in a residential area in nearby Xian. 34. Jining, ChinaJining borders two other cities on this list, Zaozhuang and Heze. 33. Heze, ChinaThis city in northeastern China has the Yellow River as its northern border. 32. Handan, ChinaThese workers are testing a dust-suppression truck. This water cannon purports to suppress smog and promote clear, healthy air. 31. Nagpur, IndiaNagpur, home to the Marbat festival, is the most polluted city in the Indian state of Maharashtra. 30. Xinxiang, ChinaThe Xinxiang Environmental Protection Volunteers Association helped to close more than 100 factories in the area between 2001 and 2009. The effort was an attempt to clean up the air and water in central China. 29. Khulna, BangladeshThe sun is barely visible through the smog in this photo of Bangladeshi laborers working at a brick factory in Khulna. 28. Jiaozuo, ChinaWorkers from the Longfeng leather and fur factory cart material through the streets of Jiaozuo. 27. Liaocheng, ChinaAn orange alert for heavy smog was issued on this hazy December day in Liaocheng. 26. Anyang, ChinaOnlookers watch as a plane performs tricks at the Anyang International Aviation Sports Tourism Festival. 25. Xingtai, ChinaIn 2016, the industrial steel city of Xingtai ranked as China's most polluted. 24. Hengshui, ChinaThis chemical factory in Hengshui might feed Hebei province's booming economy, but it also contributes to the region's air problems, according to pollution researchers. 23. Karachi, PakistanKarachi is home to a large percentage of Pakistan's manufacturing industry. 22. Shijiazhuang, ChinaSome schools have snow days, but schools in Shijiazhuang have the occasional smog day. 21. Jinan, ChinaYoung students wear face masks on a red-alert smog day in Jinan. 20. Ulaanbaatar, MongoliaAs recently as 2019, children have been evacuated from Mongolia's capital due to the toxic air conditions. Grandparents and other family members take vulnerable young people to rural Mongolia — or to nearby countries — to escape the negative health impacts of breathing the air in Ulaanbaatar. 19. Baoding, ChinaChimneys cloud the skyline of Baoding. Coal is used to power the city and surrounding villages. It ranks as China's most polluted city. 18. Narayangong, BangladeshBangladeshi travelers cross the Shitalakhya River. The banks in the distance are obscured by pollution from the bustling brick-manufacturing industry. 17. Jodhpur, IndiaThe old Blue City of Jodhpur is a popular tourist destination. But a lack of rain contributes to its poor air quality. 16. Patiala, IndiaLaborers harvest wheat in this city in the Indian state of Punjab. 15. Kampala, UgandaUgandan military police patrol a street in Kampala in 2016. Pollution researchers have cited vehicle emissions as a leading cause of air pollution in Kampala. 14. Jaipur, IndiaMonkeys admire their reflections atop a motorcycle. The smog shrouds the city in the distance. 13. Rawalpindi, PakistanThis area of Pakistan is home to steel-rolling mills, leather tanning facilities, marble factories and oil refineries. All of these industries can, under certain conditions, negatively impact air quality. In this picture, a laborer is seen working at a brick kiln. 12. Peshawar, PakistanAnother black cloud rises from a brick factory. 11. Muzaffarpur, IndiaAccording to a 2017 study by the British medical journal Lancet, more than 33 percent of deaths in the Indian state of Bihar, where Muzaffarpur is located, were caused by pollution-related diseases during the previous calendar year. 10. Gurugram, IndiaMany Fortune 500 companies, including Google and Intel, have offices in Gurugram, just southwest of New Delhi. Despite its position as a wealthy, white-collar business hub, the air quality in the city is still very poor. The annual mean for dangerous PM2.5 pollution is 12 times the World Health Organization's recommended levels. 9. Agra, IndiaPollution haze is visible in this photo of the Taj Mahal. The particulate matter in Agra is caused primarily by the practice of burning of scrap tires to extract iron. 8. Bamenda, CameroonUnlike many of the world's most polluted cities, deforestation and changing weather patterns are the primary explanation for this city's poor air quality. It is the most polluted city outside of India. 7. Lucknow, IndiaIn response to growing pollution from vehicle emissions, Lucknow built a metro rail service. This photo shows the fanfare of the train's inaugural run. 6. Delhi, IndiaThe Indian capital was once the most polluted city in the world. The city still struggles with pollution from the burning of nearby rice paddies, burning municipal waste, and vehicle exhaust emissions. 5. Patna, IndiaHindu devotees return from a ceremony during Chhath Puja, a fall Hindu festival thanking the Sun God for sustaining life on earth. Thick smog obscures the sunset. 4. Varanasi, IndiaVaranasi is considered to be the spiritual capital of India. Dust from construction contributes to the poor air quality in the city. 3. Gaya, IndiaA train shines a light through heavy smog at a railway station in Gaya, a holy city in the Indian state of Bihar. 2. Faridabad, IndiaThe smog levels in Faridabad spike during winter, when cold temperatures trap pollutants close to the ground. 1. Kanpur, IndiaWorkers pile buffalo hides to be made into leather at a tannery in Kanpur. Leather tanneries can release dangerous chromium into the air. What are the 20 most polluted cities in the world?Rankings: 25 Most Polluted Cities in the World in 2024. Lanzhou, China (49.5 µg/m3). Shijiazhuang, China (48.6 µg/m3). Kathmandu, Nepal (48.5 µg/m3). Dubai, United Arab Emirates (47.8 µg/m3). Visakhapatnam, India (46.8 µg/m3). Chandigarh, India (45.8 µg/m3). Baghdad, Iraq (44.9 µg/m3). Tianjin, China (44.9 µg/m3). Which is the dirtiest city in the world in 2024?Top 10 Most Polluted Cities in the World (2024).
What is the dirtiest city in the world?List of 10 dirtiest cities on the basis of AQI. What are the top 5 cities with the worst air pollution?These are the most polluted cities by year-round particulate matter pollution:. Sacramento-Roseville, California. ... . Los Angeles-Long Beach, California. ... . San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, California. ... . Eugene-Springfield, Oregon. ... . Fresno-Madera-Hanford, California. ... . Visalia, California. ... . Bakersfield, California.. |
