It’s not China or the US: This country has 11 of the 20 most polluted cities in the world

Poor air quality poses serious health risks to humans. Industry, energy, and the transportation sector are all major contributors to poor air quality, and cities across this country breathe some of that air on Earth. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 99 percent of all people breathe air that “contains high levels of pollutants.”

The cities that had the worst air quality in 2024

According to AirIQ, a Swiss company specializing in products to protect oneself in poor air quality environments, 11 of the 20 most polluted cities in 2024 were found in India.

Byrnihat situated on the border with Bangladesh, topped the charts with an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 128.2, more than twenty points higher than the next city on the list. According to international standards, this means that the air is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” such as individuals with respiratory illnesses.

These were the ten most polluted cities in 2024:

AirIQ also publishes a real-time list of pollution in cities globally, and currently, Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan, tops the list, with an AQI nearing 170.

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