Three Indian cities in Top 4 most polluted, says report
Loni in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh was the world's most polluted city in 2025, according to a report by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir.
Loni averaged PM2.5 levels of 112.5 micrograms per cubic meter, the report said, referring to hazardous fine particles in the air.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that safe levels of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
Three Indian cities were among the four most polluted — Byrnihat in the northeast and capital, New Delhi.
Last year, Byrnihat was named the world's most polluted city in IQAir's 2024 report.
Additionally, the world's 25 most polluted cities were all in India, Pakistan and China.
Pakistan was ranked the world’s most polluted country in 2025, with PM2.5 levels up to 13 times higher than the WHO guideline. India ranked sixth.
Only thirteen countries and territories met the WHO annual PM2.5 guideline, the report said.
