Study: World’s most polluted cities are in Asia

International

A NEW study showed that the world’s most polluted cities are in Asia. In fact, it is in Asia where 19 of the world’s top 20 most polluted cities can be found.

In a report by CNN, a study by IQAir, a Swiss company that tracks global air quality, 13 of the most polluted cities are in India, the world's most populous country with 1.4 billion people and where coal fuels economic growth and traffic congestion affects millions.

Moreover, the only city outside Asia featured in the list is N’Djamena, Chad's capital in Central Africa, which was declared to have the worst air pollution.

In 2024, Chad's air quality was over 18 times worse than the global average, making it the most polluted country.

Due to data concerns, Chad was excluded from IQAir's 2023 list but was the most polluted country in 2022.

Chad, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Congo, and India face the worst smog, while only 17% of global cities meet the World Health Organization (WHO) air quality standards.

The WHO recommends that average annual PM2.5 levels not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter.

Moreover in North America, the cities with the worst air pollution were Ontario, Bloomington, and Huntington Park.

Only 17% of the 8,954 cities analyzed by IQAir met WHO air quality guidelines.(Nikelyn Pahayahay, BiPSU Comm Intern)