This City Has The Worst Air Pollution In The World

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Each year, the AirIQ reports air pollution by nation and city. It has just issued its 2023 IQAir World Air Quality Report. The report’s numbers came from over 30,000 air quality monitoring stations at 7,812 locations in 134 countries, territories, and regions. The report states, “Seven countries met the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline (annual average of 5 µg/m3 or less): Australia, Estonia, Finland, Grenada, Iceland, Mauritius, and New Zealand.” Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan had the worst figures, which has been the case for years.

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The report ranks air quality on a scale of zero to 50+. A score of zero to five means that the city meets WHO standards. At 5.1 to 10, the ranking shows cities with air quality one to two times the WHO standards. At 10.1 to 15, the air is two to three times the WHO standard. At 15.1 to 25, the quality is three to five times the WHO standards. At 25.1 to 35, the air is five to seven times the WHO standard. At 35.1 to 50, the city’s air is seven to ten times the WHO standard; at 50+, the air exceeds the WHO standard by over ten times. The world’s most polluted cities have ratings over 60.

Begusarai, India

The most polluted city in the world in 2023 was Begusarai, India. The report’s authors state, “India was home to the four most polluted cities in the world.” Begusarai’s score for the year was 118.9. The score varied from month to month. In February 2023, its score was 235.3.

The report says low air quality affects the poor and disenfranchised worldwide. Its authors write, “These independent air quality monitoring stations reveal disproportional exposure to harmful air pollution among vulnerable and underrepresented groups.” A review of GDP per capita and poverty levels in the cities and countries with the worst air pollution shows this is accurate.