The most polluted cities in the world; From Xinjiang to Khorramshahr

Air pollution is one of the main causes of death all over the world; The issue of air pollution that threatens the lives of children, adults and all living beings every year, and it is only possible to deal with it through the strict implementation of the clean air law. In this article, we introduce a list of the most polluted cities in the world without ranking in terms of pollution level, which ironically, most of them are located in the Middle East region. be with us.

1. Dammam city in Saudi Arabia

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 124.11 micrograms per cubic meter

The port city of Dammam in Saudi Arabia with a population of approximately 1,250,000 people is currently the fifth most populated city in Saudi Arabia and the most polluted city in the world. This industrial city is considered the main base of the Saudi oil industry, and due to the oil-rich region and the existence of important government offices, a thick cloud of fog and smoke is always observed in its air.

2. Lahore city in Pakistan

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 111.63 micrograms per cubic meter

Lahore is the second most populous city in Pakistan with a population of more than 13 million people. In addition to the constant congestion and urban activities that are the main causes of air pollution in the region, other factors such as the abundance of brick kilns, burning of fields, violations of environmental policies by industries and the use of worn-out cars by citizens have worsened the unhealthy air condition of this city.

3. Dhaka city in Bangladesh

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 84.73 micrograms per cubic meter

Dhaka is a prime example of a developing city struggling with chronic pollution. This big and important city with a population of 17 million people has such polluted air due to the large volume of construction and urban traffic that breathing in it is equivalent to consuming 1.7 cigarettes a day!

4. Delhi city in India

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 84.39 micrograms per cubic meter

Delhi is the capital of India and one of the most polluted cities in the world in 2022. The growing population of this city is estimated to be more than 32 million people, and its water, soil and air are so polluted that it is considered one of the 10 most polluted cities in the world! Especially after the end of the Diwali celebration, which covers the entire city with smoke and steam.

5. Muzaffarnagar city in India

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 81.35 micrograms per cubic meter

Muzaffarnagar, located in the Uttar Pradesh region, is the location of many large sugar, steel and paper factories in India. Although the existence of these factories provides a good opportunity for the residents of the region to be employed, the price is a severe reduction in the quality of the city’s air, which every living being in this region pays for with their health.

6. Baghdad city in Iraq

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 77.62 micrograms per cubic meter

Baghdad, the capital of Iraq and the center of Arabic culture and Islamic civilization, is another one of the most polluted cities in the world. This city currently suffers from unfavorable air quality due to the remnants of war, car pollution, the use of household electricity generators, and the extraction of oil and gas in refineries, and it is considered one of the 15 most polluted cities in the world.

7. Ghaziabad city in India

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 74.72 micrograms per cubic meter

Ghaziabad is another city in the Uttar Pradesh region of India that if you care about your health, it is better not to travel to it for recreation and accommodation. The bad air quality of this city is the result of 1 million and 729 thousand people and the production of famous oil engines in this region.

8. Patna city in India

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 67.2 micrograms per cubic meter

The historic and crowded city of Patneh on the south bank of the Ganges River is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and therefore it is neither a good destination for traveling nor a good place to stay, especially considering the increasing number of heart and respiratory patients, which has nothing to do with traffic. It is not severe and disregarding the laws related to clean air.

9. Peshawar city in Pakistan

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 66.15 micrograms per cubic meter

Peshawar is a big city with a population of 2.3 million people, which has various flowers and greenery in four seasons. However, due to the high number of terrorism and violence, industrial facilities, burning of solid waste, brick kilns and increased smoke from cars, it is not considered a clean or safe city.

10. Lucknow city in India

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 63.65 micrograms per cubic meter

India is full of cities that, despite their endless beauty, have poor air quality, and Lucknow is one of the most polluted. At present, the concentration of suspended microparticles smaller than 2.5 microns in this city is 5.5 times the allowed amount, the most important factor of which can be considered the population of almost 4 million people in this city.

11. East London City in South Africa

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 60.69 micrograms per cubic meter

East London, a popular tourist destination in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, is known for its quiet beaches and rich history, but in recent years it has attracted attention for high pollution and poor air quality. Undoubtedly, one of the reasons is the large population of this city, which was estimated to be 267 thousand people in 2022.

12. Pokhara city in Nepal

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 59.15 micrograms per cubic meter

Another one of the most polluted cities in the world is the beautiful city of Pakhara, which, despite its enchanting nature and rich flora and fauna, has an alarming pollution index. Pakhara is the second most populous city in Nepal and many of its environmental concerns are caused by this overcrowding.

13. Manama city in Bahrain

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 57.35 micrograms per cubic meter

The city of Manama with a population of more than 708 thousand people is the capital of Bahrain and the largest city of this Arab country. Of course, all the luxurious and magnificent ports, advanced attractions and stunning beauty of this city only look beautiful from a distance, because the annual average concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns is much higher than the recommended level, making life in this area unsafe for its residents.

14. Chandigarh city in India

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 53.16 micrograms per cubic meter

Although the city of Chandigarh owes all its innovative beauty to Le Corbusier, the famous French architect, and is the first in India in terms of cleanliness, its air quality does not meet the expectations of the city’s designers. The smog of this city is so thick that it does not allow anyone to see and reduces the quality of people’s lives.

15. Hawalli city in Kuwait

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 52.24 micrograms per cubic meter

The city of Hawalli was one of the most polluted cities in the world in 2021, and this issue is not strange considering the oil-richness of this region. Excavation of land and burning of fossil fuels are all important factors of air pollution, which, along with the city’s population of 220,000 people, have a negative effect on the air quality of this region.

16. Khorramshahr city in Iran

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 51.44 micrograms per cubic meter

According to the census conducted and the report of the World Health Organization, the beautiful city of Khorramshahr with a population of about 171,000 people is considered one of the most polluted cities in Iran and of course the world due to the rapid growth of the population, frequent dust storms and dried up rivers.

17. Xi’an city in China

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 48.11 micrograms per cubic meter

Xi’an is one of the 4 great ancient capitals of China and the capital of Shaanxi Province, whose air pollution is higher in the cold seasons (autumn and winter) than in the hot seasons due to the phenomenon of temperature inversion. The main culprit of the unhealthy air in this city can be attributed to the burning of coal, the presence of dust and vehicle emissions.

18. Calcutta city in India

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 46.77 micrograms per cubic meter

Calcutta is one of the most important commercial, educational and cultural centers of India. Of course, due to heavy crowding and heavy traffic, this city is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. Only in 2021, the cost of this city’s unfavorable air quality on its economy was equal to 3.3 billion dollars!

19. Xinjiang city in China

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 46.05 micrograms per cubic meter

The city of Xinjiang is located in the northern region of Henan province of China and is considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. Xinjiang’s air pollution is not only due to coal-fired power plants, but also due to the abundance of mines and industrial plants, underground coal mine fires, and pollution from vehicle traffic.

20. Kampala city in Uganda

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 44.99 micrograms per cubic meter

The large and densely populated city of Kampala, despite its various natural, mineral and industrial resources, is on the list of the most polluted cities in the world, and the concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns is estimated to be 1.4 times the standard value. This amount of pollution can be justified due to the rapid growth of the population, exhaust fumes of cars, burning of residential waste and smoke from cooking stoves.

21. Shuchang city in China

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 44.88 micrograms per cubic meter

The city of Shuchang, located in the Henan province of China, with a population of 4.5 million people, an air pollution index of 152 and a high concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns, which is 11.5 times the recommended value, is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Among the ways to deal with pollution in this city, we can mention reducing coal consumption, improving energy efficiency in the industrial and construction sectors, and increasing the supply of renewable energy.

22. Bamako city in Mali

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 44.88 micrograms per cubic meter

Bamako with a population of 1.8 million is the capital of the Republic of Mali and the largest city in this country. The pollution level of this city is 7.1 times the standard value, which places it in the group of cities with unhealthy air. The cause of this pollution is dust storms, emission of greenhouse gases from vehicles, and abundant use of fossil fuels.

23. Tehran city in Iran

Concentration of particles smaller than 2.5 microns: 35 micrograms per cubic meter

The pollution of Tehran metropolis is not much compared to the most polluted cities in the world, but the high concentration of air pollutant particles has made the living conditions in this city unfavorable. For a long time, the residents of this metropolis have been struggling with the harmful consequences of air pollution. The most important reason for Tehran’s pollution is the excessive number of vehicles.

last word

If you considered Tehran to be the most polluted city in the world, now you know that not only Iran, but many large and densely populated cities in the world are struggling with the problem of pollution. We hope that this global concern will be resolved with the correct decisions of the authorities and compliance with the principles of environmental protection by the citizens every day become less than before.

In this article, we introduced only 23 of the most polluted cities in the world. If you know another polluted city, be sure to share it with us in the comments section.