Cities With the Worst Air Quality Right Now
Santiago has the most polluted air of any major city we track right now, with PM2.5 around 156.9 µg/m³.
| # | City | Country | PM2.5 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Santiago | Chile | 156.9 µg/m³ |
| 🥈 | Meerut | India | 102.9 µg/m³ |
| 🥉 | Delhi | India | 96.4 µg/m³ |
| 4 | Kanpur | India | 95.0 µg/m³ |
| 5 | Kuwait City | Kuwait | 90.6 µg/m³ |
| 6 | Riyadh | Saudi Arabia | 86.8 µg/m³ |
| 7 | Moscow | Russia | 82.1 µg/m³ |
| 8 | Faridabad | India | 81.0 µg/m³ |
| 9 | Chongqing | China | 79.9 µg/m³ |
| 10 | Najafgarh | India | 77.1 µg/m³ |
| 11 | Patna | India | 76.1 µg/m³ |
| 12 | Dammam | Saudi Arabia | 71.9 µg/m³ |
| 13 | Lucknow | India | 69.4 µg/m³ |
| 14 | Qingdao | China | 68.5 µg/m³ |
| 15 | Agra | India | 65.4 µg/m³ |
| 16 | Lanzhou | China | 62.4 µg/m³ |
| 17 | Medina | Saudi Arabia | 61.7 µg/m³ |
| 18 | Dubai | United Arab Emirates | 59.8 µg/m³ |
| 19 | Jeddah | Saudi Arabia | 59.0 µg/m³ |
| 20 | Doha | Qatar | 58.4 µg/m³ |
| 21 | Sharjah | United Arab Emirates | 56.2 µg/m³ |
| 22 | Ürümqi | China | 55.9 µg/m³ |
| 23 | Ürümqi | China | 55.9 µg/m³ |
| 24 | Neijiang | China | 55.3 µg/m³ |
| 25 | Nanchong | China | 50.8 µg/m³ |
| 26 | Istanbul | Türkiye | 50.0 µg/m³ |
| 27 | Abu Dhabi | United Arab Emirates | 49.9 µg/m³ |
| 28 | Jamshedpur | India | 47.6 µg/m³ |
| 29 | Wuhan | China | 47.0 µg/m³ |
| 30 | Mbuji-Mayi | Democratic Republic of Congo | 46.9 µg/m³ |
| 31 | Al Başrah al Qadīmah | Iraq | 46.2 µg/m³ |
| 32 | Basrah | Iraq | 46.2 µg/m³ |
| 33 | Mecca | Saudi Arabia | 45.4 µg/m³ |
| 34 | Multan | Pakistan | 45.3 µg/m³ |
| 35 | Faisalabad | Pakistan | 45.1 µg/m³ |
| 36 | Yinchuan | China | 44.9 µg/m³ |
| 37 | Lahore | Pakistan | 42.6 µg/m³ |
| 38 | Dazhou | China | 42.4 µg/m³ |
| 39 | Hanoi | Vietnam | 41.2 µg/m³ |
| 40 | Gujranwala | Pakistan | 40.7 µg/m³ |
| 41 | Zigong | China | 40.7 µg/m³ |
| 42 | Ludhiāna | India | 40.3 µg/m³ |
| 43 | Jakarta | Indonesia | 39.7 µg/m³ |
| 44 | Bekasi | Indonesia | 39.7 µg/m³ |
| 45 | Depok | Indonesia | 39.7 µg/m³ |
| 46 | South Tangerang | Indonesia | 39.7 µg/m³ |
| 47 | Kolkata | India | 39.1 µg/m³ |
| 48 | Semarang | Indonesia | 38.4 µg/m³ |
| 49 | Wenzhou | China | 37.1 µg/m³ |
| 50 | Changde | China | 36.4 µg/m³ |
| 51 | Kananga | Democratic Republic of Congo | 36.2 µg/m³ |
| 52 | Nanchang | China | 36.0 µg/m³ |
| 53 | Bayan Nur | China | 35.7 µg/m³ |
| 54 | Xi’an | China | 34.5 µg/m³ |
| 55 | Chengdu | China | 33.9 µg/m³ |
| 56 | Shantou | China | 33.5 µg/m³ |
| 57 | Yiwu | China | 33.3 µg/m³ |
| 58 | Karachi | Pakistan | 33.1 µg/m³ |
| 59 | Jaipur | India | 33.1 µg/m³ |
| 60 | Xinyang | China | 32.5 µg/m³ |
| 61 | Mexico City | Mexico | 32.4 µg/m³ |
| 62 | Ecatepec de Morelos | Mexico | 32.4 µg/m³ |
| 63 | Onitsha | Nigeria | 32.4 µg/m³ |
| 64 | Jinhua | China | 32.2 µg/m³ |
| 65 | Xiamen | China | 32.1 µg/m³ |
| 66 | Luoyang | China | 32.1 µg/m³ |
| 67 | Yichang | China | 31.3 µg/m³ |
| 68 | Hyderabad | Pakistan | 31.2 µg/m³ |
| 69 | Baotou | China | 31.1 µg/m³ |
| 70 | Rawalpindi | Pakistan | 31.0 µg/m³ |
| 71 | Liaocheng | China | 30.4 µg/m³ |
| 72 | Changsha | China | 30.3 µg/m³ |
| 73 | Tehran | Iran | 30.2 µg/m³ |
| 74 | Haikou | China | 30.2 µg/m³ |
| 75 | Johannesburg | South Africa | 29.7 µg/m³ |
| 76 | Kano | Nigeria | 29.7 µg/m³ |
| 77 | Nagpur | India | 29.7 µg/m³ |
| 78 | Tangerang | Indonesia | 29.6 µg/m³ |
| 79 | Yiyang | China | 29.5 µg/m³ |
| 80 | Xiangyang | China | 29.3 µg/m³ |
| 81 | Yantai | China | 28.7 µg/m³ |
| 82 | Saint Petersburg | Russia | 28.3 µg/m³ |
| 83 | N'Djamena | Chad | 28.0 µg/m³ |
| 84 | N'Djamena | Chad | 28.0 µg/m³ |
| 85 | Kathmandu | Nepal | 27.8 µg/m³ |
| 86 | Muscat | Oman | 27.7 µg/m³ |
| 87 | Peshawar | Pakistan | 27.5 µg/m³ |
| 88 | Jining | China | 27.4 µg/m³ |
| 89 | Nanjing | China | 27.1 µg/m³ |
| 90 | Mianyang | China | 27.0 µg/m³ |
| 91 | Ahmedabad | India | 26.7 µg/m³ |
| 92 | Guankou | China | 26.6 µg/m³ |
| 93 | Zhengzhou | China | 26.3 µg/m³ |
| 94 | Bamako | Mali | 26.1 µg/m³ |
| 95 | Shaoxing | China | 26.1 µg/m³ |
| 96 | Luohe | China | 26.1 µg/m³ |
| 97 | Shenzhen | China | 26.0 µg/m³ |
| 98 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 26.0 µg/m³ |
| 99 | Hong Kong | Hong Kong | 26.0 µg/m³ |
| 100 | Shijiazhuang | China | 26.0 µg/m³ |
Why Is the Air So Polluted in These Cities Right Now?
Air quality changes by the hour with traffic, industry, weather and the seasons. The most polluted cities at any moment are often those with heavy emissions trapped by still air or temperature inversions, or affected by dust storms and wildfire smoke. This list samples live PM2.5 readings across hundreds of large cities and updates through the day.
PM2.5, fine particles small enough to reach deep into the lungs, is the pollutant most closely tied to health, which is why we rank by it. Right now the worst air among the cities we track is in Santiago, with PM2.5 around 156.9 µg/m³.
Frequently Asked Questions: Cities With the Worst Air Quality Right Now
Which city has the worst air quality right now?
Among the cities we track, Santiago has the highest PM2.5 right now, around 156.9 µg/m³ (as of June 5, 2026).
What is PM2.5?
PM2.5 is fine particulate matter under 2.5 microns across, small enough to enter the bloodstream through the lungs. It is the air pollutant most strongly linked to health effects.
Why does air quality change so quickly?
Pollution builds up and clears with traffic, industry and especially the weather. Still air and temperature inversions trap pollutants, while wind and rain wash them away.