India ranked third in worst air quality in 2023, Delhi most polluted capital; check list of top 20 most polluted cities
Upstox
2 min read • Updated: March 19, 2024, 4:03 PM
Summary
IQAir said India had the third-worst air quality in 2023, with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre. Delhi was the most polluted capital while Bihar's Begusarai topped the list of most polluted cities in 2023.
IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology company, has released the World Air Quality Report 2023, giving details about the most polluted countries and cities in the world. India was declared the third most polluted country in 2023, while 17 Indian cities made it to the list of top 20 most polluted cities in the world.
The report employed the World Health Organisation's (WHO) annual PM2.5 concentration guideline (yearly average of 5 micrograms per cubic metre or less) to identify cities and regions facing significant health risks.
IQAir said India had the third worst air quality in 2023, with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 54.4 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³). The list was topped by Bangladesh (79.9 µg/m³), followed by Pakistan (73.7 µg/m³).
"India continues to struggle with drastically poor air quality. Annual average PM2.5 concentrations rose slightly in 2023 to 54.4 µg/m³ compared to 53.3 µg/m³ in 2022. PM2.5 levels in the National Capital Territory, Delhi, rose by 10% in 2023, with levels peaking in November which saw a monthly average of 255 µg/m³," the report said.
The air pollution was mainly due to stubble burning, coal burning, vehicle emissions, waste and biomass burning, it added.
Top 10 most polluted countries in 2023
- Bangladesh
- Pakistan
- India
- Tajikistan
- Burkina Faso
- Iraq
- United Arab Emirates
- Nepal
- Egypt
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
Delhi most polluted capital city
Delhi was the most polluted capital in the world in 2023 with an average annual PM2.5 concentration of 92.7 µg/m³, followed by Dhaka (80.2 µg/m³), Ouagadougou (46.4 µg/m³), Dushanbe (46 µg/m³) and Bagdad (45.8 µg/m³).
Topped by Bihar's Begusarai, 17 Indian cities featured in the list of the world's top 20 most polluted cities in 2023.
Top 20 most polluted cities in the world in 2023
- Begusarai, Bihar
- Guwahati, Assam
- Delhi
- Mullanpur, Punjab
- Lahore, Pakistan
- New Delhi
- Siwan, Bihar
- Saharsa, Bihar
- Goshaingaon, Bihar
- Katihar, Bihar
- Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh
- Faisalabad, Pakistan
- Hotan, China
- Bettiah, Bihar
- Samastipur, Bihar
- Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh
- Gurugram, Haryana
- Arrah, Bihar
- Dadri, Uttar Pradesh
- Patna, Bihar
Countries that met WHO's annual PM2.5 concentration guideline were French Polynesia, Mauritius, Iceland, Grenada, Bermuda, New Zealand, Australia, Puerto Rico, Estonia and Finland.