NEW DELHI REMAINS WORLD’S MOST POLLUTED CAPITAL FOR SEVENTH YEAR

An Emirati Magazine publication – Released on March 16, 2025 | www.emiratimagazine.com

New Delhi has once again been ranked as the world’s most polluted capital city, marking its seventh consecutive year at the top, according to the World Air Quality Report 2024 by Swiss firm IQAir.

Photo by Saurabh Kumar | Image Courtesy: www.pexels.com

The capital recorded an annual PM2.5 concentration of 91.8 micrograms per cubic meter, nearly 18 times higher than the World Health Organization’s (WHO) safe limit. Meanwhile, the Union Territory of Delhi had an even higher PM2.5 level of 108.3 µg/m³, making it the second most polluted city globally in 2024.

Two other NCR cities—Faridabad (101.2 µg/m³) and Loni (91.7 µg/m³)—also ranked among the world’s top 10 most polluted areas.

Vehicular emissions remained a major contributor to pollution levels, with PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 50 µg/m³ for 61.7% of 2024.

N’Djamena, Chad, followed closely behind as the second most polluted capital, recording an average PM2.5 level of 91.6 µg/m³.