Air pollution remains a concern across several major cities worldwide, with three Indian cities featuring among the Top 5 world's most polluted urban centres in IQAir's live global major city ranking.
According to IQAir's live World Air Quality Ranking, Lahore in Pakistan tops the list with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 185. Kolkata ranks second with an AQI of 172, while Delhi is placed third with an AQI of 163. Mumbai, meanwhile, occupies the fifth position with an AQI of 161.
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The ranking compares hourly AQI readings across more than 100 major cities globally. As the data is updated hourly, the positions and pollution levels generally change throughout the day.
Top 10 Most Polluted Cities In The World
According to the live ranking on IQAir's website at the time of checking, the top 10 cities are:
1. Lahore, Pakistan — AQI 185
2. Kolkata, India — AQI 172
3. Delhi, India — AQI 163
4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — AQI 162
5. Mumbai, India — AQI 161
6. Medan, Indonesia — AQI 159
7. Dhaka, Bangladesh — AQI 154
8. Doha, Qatar — AQI 153
9. Manama, Bahrain — AQI 152
10. Baghdad, Iraq — AQI 147
The ranking places Kolkata as the highest-ranked Indian city, followed by Delhi and Mumbai. Lahore leads the global list, while cities in Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Iraq, Qatar and Bahrain also feature in the top 10.
What Do The AQI Levels Mean?
IQAir's AQI⁺ US scale classifies readings between 151 and 200 as ‘Unhealthy'. According to the scale, readings in this range indicate that air pollution may pose health risks, with sensitive groups potentially experiencing more serious effects.
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With Lahore recording an AQI of 185 and Kolkata at 172, both cities fall within this category. Delhi's reading of 163 and Mumbai's 161 also fall in the same range.
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