Dhaka ranks joint seventh with Delhi among world’s most polluted cities

Dhaka ranked joint seventh with New Delhi on Wednesday (September 30) among the world’s cities with the worst air quality, with the capital’s air classified as “unhealthy,” according to the latest data from Swiss air-quality monitoring platform IQAir.

Dhaka recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 152 at around 9am, placing it alongside New Delhi in the global ranking.

Kolkata topped the list with an AQI score of 182, followed by Kuala Lumpur with 172 and Kampala with 163. Singapore ranked fourth with 162, while Lahore and Doha stood fifth and sixth with scores of 158 and 156, respectively.

Phnom Penh ranked ninth with an AQI of 151, while Dubai placed 10th with a score of 148.

An AQI between 151 and 200 is considered “unhealthy,” meaning prolonged exposure to the air can pose health risks.

Health experts particularly advise children, older people and those with respiratory conditions such as asthma to limit extended outdoor exposure when air quality reaches this level.