World’s top 10 most polluted capital cities: find out where Delhi stands

Most polluted capital cities: According to the 2024 World Air Quality Report by equipment manufacturer IQAir, New Delhi fares much worse than the capitals of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal.

Most polluted capital cities: India's capital, Delhi, ranks second on the list, following Chad's N’Djamena. (Image source: Representational image: Unsplash)

Air pollution is no longer just an environmental issue—it has become a way of life for many Indians, so much so that when air quality in Delhi improves, it becomes big news. Take, for instance, March 15, when the capital recorded its cleanest air in three years with an air quality index of 85—a rare moment of relief in a city accustomed to hazardous levels of pollution.

However, Delhi is not the only capital struggling with worsening air quality. According to the 2024 World Air Quality Report by equipment manufacturer IQAir, India’s capital is the second-most polluted capital in the world. At the top of the list is N’Djamena, capital of the African country Chad, with both cities recording an annual average PM2.5 concentration of over 90 micrograms per cubic metre—exceeding the latest World Health Organization guideline by 18 times.

Ranked third on the list, Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, recorded an annual average PM2.5 concentration of 78 micrograms per cubic metre. Following closely behind were Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with 58.2 micrograms, and Islamabad in Pakistan, at 52.4 micrograms. The first capital city outside Asia and Africa to appear in the rankings was Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a PM2.5 level of 30.8 micrograms.

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Know what other capital cities have made it to the list of the “world’s most polluted”.

Top 10 world’s most polluted capital cities

Rank	Capital City	Country	PM2.5 in 2024
1.	N’Djamena	Chad	91.8
2.	Delhi	India	91.6
3.	Dhaka	Bangladesh	78
4.	Kinshasa	Democratic Republic Congo	58.2
5.	Islamabad	Pakistan	52.4
6.	Dushanbe	Tajikistan	46.3
7.	Hanoi	Vietnam	45.4
8.	Kathmandu	Nepal	45.1
9.	Abuja	Nigeria	42.2
10.	Jakarta	Indonesia	41.7

Source: IQAir

IQAir’s World Air Quality Report, which analysed data from 8,954 cities, expanded its coverage in this edition, adding four more African nations, one additional Asian country, and two new countries in the Americas compared to its 2024 report.

National capitals with the highest average annual PM2.5 concentration in 2024 (Image source: IQAir)

Also Read | Top 10 most polluted Indian cities (2024-25): Delhi tops the list, Byrnihat ranked worst globally

PM2.5, or ambient particulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 microns, is largely the result of human activity. A 2021 paper published in Nature Communications highlighted that road transport and the energy sector are among the biggest contributors to high PM2.5 levels. Additionally, smaller-scale sources such as agricultural waste burning, household cooking, and heating play a significant role, particularly in developing countries.

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