According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 99% of the global population lives in places where air quality guidelines are not met. The combined effects of outdoor and household air pollution are linked to about 6.7 million premature deaths each year.
Using annual average PM2.5 levels, IQAir’s World Air Quality Report analyzed data from more than 9,400 cities across 143 countries, regions, and territories. PM2.5 refers to fine particles that can enter the lungs and bloodstream, posing serious risks to our health.
The WHO annual guideline for PM2.5 is 5 µg/m³. Every city in this ranking is far above that level. Click through to discover the cities with the worst air pollution in the world.