We analyzed data published by the World Air Quality Index project and put together the 2024 updated ranking of the “25 Cities with the Worst Air Pollution in the World ”. 2017-2024 World 's most polluted cities The most polluted cities according to data aggregated from over 80,000 data points. New Delhi is the most polluted city in the world with an average AQI of 169, which is primarily caused by vehicular emissions, industrial activities, construction dust, and stubble burning in ... On October 30, 2025, forty of the world 's most polluted cities were in India. Smaller northern cities like Sri Ganganagar and Siwani recorded extreme pollution levels.
