From the Numbeo portal, here is data on the most polluted cities in the world in 2025. Unfortunately, Asia "dominates", with many highly populated cities among the worst.
What is the most polluted city in the world? This is an ever-present question, given that environmental issues represent the major challenge that countries—especially Western ones, to be fair—intend to address between now and 2050.
Looking at the numbers released by Numbeo, a portal specializing in collecting data and user feedback on pollution, the feeling is that there is still much work to be done, especially in Asian countries. Italy, too, certainly isn’t doing so well.
In compiling its regularly updated ranking of the world’s most polluted cities, Numbeo analyzed what users say (subjective data) and what official bodies, such as the World Health Organization (objective data, report on parameters such as air quality, water quality, cleanliness, etc. The result is a very disturbing figure for the global pollution index, which, unfortunately, is booming in several "pathological" geographic areas.
Based on these parameters, by mid-2025 the most polluted city in the world would be Kathmandu, Nepal, followed by Tetovo (North Macedonia) and Dhaka (Bangladesh).
Most Polluted Cities in the World: The 2025 Ranking
According to continuously updated data from Numbeo, these are the 20 most polluted cities in the world.
| Location | City, Country | Estimated Pollution Index (0 to 100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kathmandu, Nepal | 95.72 |
| 2 | Tetovo, North Macedonia | 95.56 |
| 3 | Dhaka, Bangladesh | 94.65 |
| 4 | Faridabad, India | 94.53 |
| 5 | Ulan Bator, Mongolia | 94.42 |
| 6 | Beirut, Lebanon | 94.11 |
| 7 | Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam | 92.20 |
| 8 | Ghaziabad, India | 91.79 |
| 9 | Noida, India | 91.22 |
| 10 | Cairo, Egypt | 90.91 |
| 11 | Yangon, Myanmar | 90.86 |
| 12 | Gurgaon, India | 90.80 |
| 13 | Delhi, India | 90.21 |
| 14 | Manila, Philippines | 89.91 |
| 15 | Kabul, Afghanistan | 89.71 |
| 16 | Karachi, Pakistan | 89.39 |
| 17 | Patna, India | 89.34 |
| 18 | Hanoi, Vietnam | 89.32 |
| 19 | Accra, Ghana | 89.18 |
| 20 | Allahabad, India | 88.94 |
According to Numbeo, Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, leads the ranking with a pollution index of 95.72, followed by Tetovo in North Macedonia (95.56) and Dhaka in Bangladesh (94.65). These cities have high concentrations of PM2.5, fine particles that penetrate deep into the lungs, increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.
India emerges as the epicenter of urban pollution, with cities such as Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida, Delhi, Gurgaon, Patna, and Allahabad among the top 20. The main causes here also include traffic congestion, poor waste management, and unregulated industrial activity. Middle Eastern cities such as Beirut (94.11) and Kabul (89.71) also experience worrying levels of smog.
These data highlight the urgent need for effective environmental policies and greater public awareness. It’s no coincidence that overcrowded and poor cities are among the world’s most critical cases in terms of pollution.
Original article published on money.it Italy. Original title: Le città più inquinate del mondo, la classifica 2025
