India Ranked Sixth in Global Air Pollution: World Air Quality Report

According to the World Air Quality Report, released on March 24, 2026, India ranks as the sixth most polluted nation globally. This report, compiled annually by IQAir, a Swiss air filtration company, noted a decline in India's particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations, albeit still significant. The population-weighted average PM2.5 concentration for India was recorded at 48.9 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) in 2025, reflecting a 3% decrease from the previous year and a 10% drop compared to 2023.

In past years, India's air quality has fluctuated significantly. In 2023, it was placed third globally following Bangladesh and Pakistan. The following year, India slipped to fifth as Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo reported higher pollution levels. Now, it stands sixth in the 2025 report, behind not only those two nations but also Tajikistan.

The report comprises data from 143 countries covering 9,446 cities, up from 134 countries and 7,812 cities in 2023. This expansion implies that the number of countries assessed for air quality has broadened, potentially influencing India's position.

New Delhi, the capital city, has exhibited a notable decrease in PM2.5 levels, dropping from 108.3 µg/m³ in 2024 to 82.2 µg/m³ in 2025. Despite this reduction, New Delhi continues to be classified as the world's most polluted capital city. In 2023, Begusarai was reported as the most polluted metropolitan area globally, while in 2024, Byrnihat took the lead. By 2025, Loni in Uttar Pradesh emerged as the most polluted city, registering a PM2.5 concentration of 112.5 µg/m³.

The report indicates that efforts to regulate air quality in India have faced challenges. It highlighted that enforcement of regulations on vehicular and industrial emissions has been inadequate, particularly concerning PM2.5—the more harmful particulate matter compared to PM10. It was noted that government funding prioritised road dust reduction at 64%, while significantly less support was allocated to combating biomass burning, vehicular emissions, and industrial pollution, which constituted 15%, 13%, and 1% of funding respectively.

Public response to air quality issues was also noted, with protests occurring at India Gate in New Delhi in November 2025 due to spikes in pollution levels. The report reflected a general trend showing that 17 out of the 20 most polluted cities worldwide are in the Central and South Asian region, predominantly in India and Pakistan.

Globally, very few regions met the World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines for annual average PM2.5 concentration, with only thirteen countries and territories achieving compliance, including French Polynesia and Australia. The findings in this year’s report underscore the ongoing air quality crisis in India, urging continued attention and action to reduce air pollution and its health impacts.