Top 10 Most Polluted Cities In The World 2025: 3 Indian Cities On The List Amid Diwali Celebrations

Most Polluted Cities:  As the world gears up for Diwali in late October 2025, air quality concerns have reached alarming levels, especially in South Asian cities. Additionally, based on the recent global air quality rankings, three Indian cities are also on the list of the top 10 most polluted cities in the world, with concerning AQI rankings. The alarmingly high AQI scores highlight a worsening environmental crisis, mainly due to festive seasons, urbanisation, and industrial waste. To learn more, here is the list of the top 10 most polluted cities in the world, along with their alarming AQI scores.

AQI Ranking System; Category-Wise Score ( Image Credit: The Daily Jagran) 

List Of Top 10 Most Polluted Cities In The World 2025:

Source: Live AQI has been recorded as of October 14, 2025 (Tuesday) – 11:21 IST AM – on IQAir Air Quality Rankings.

Which Are The Top 10 Most Polluted Cities In The World In 2025?

1. Lahore, Pakistan

Lahore, Pakistan, with an AQI score of 234, is the most polluted city in the world, as of October 14th, 2025. The city is in the category of ‘Hazardous’ due to constant industrial emissions, vehicular pollution, and agricultural stubble burning in neighbouring areas.

2. Delhi, India

Delhi, India, with an AQI score of 193, is the world's second-most polluted city as of October 14th, 2025. The national capital of India suffers from traffic congestion, construction dust, and crop residue burning in Punjab and Haryana. Additionally, Diwali is just around the corner, which causes the widespread use of firecrackers, resulting in deterioration of the air quality in Delhi.

3. Kuwait City, Kuwait

Kuwait is the third most polluted city in the world, with an AQI score of 185. Factors like oil refining, heavy reliance on vehicles, and desert dust storms impact the air quality here.

4. Kolkata, India

Kolkata, India, has a concerning AQI score of 168. All because of the city’s high population, old cars, and industrial activities in the region, all of which significantly worsen its air quality. Diwali celebrations also contribute to the load, with firecrackers emitting harmful chemicals and smoke.

Also Read: Smog Stories: Can Green Firecrackers Really Make Delhi’s Diwali Less Polluted?

5. Doha, Qatar

Doha, Qatar, has an AQI of 162 due to pollution challenges associated with urbanisation at a fast rate, high energy use, and intense heat that further boosts ground-level ozone.

6. Dhaka, Bangladesh

Dhaka, Bangladesh, has an AQI of 158, which is regarded as ‘Unhealthy’. The worsened air quality here is due to unregulated industries, brick kilns, and traffic congestion.

7. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, is the only African city on the list, with an AQI of 157. The city goes through high usage of biomass fuels, waste burning, and a lack of environmental control.

8. Milano, Italy

Milano, Italy, has registered the AQI of 155, which is also unhealthy. The major reason for the high AQI score is due to geographical trapping of pollutants in the Po Valley, especially during the winter season.

Also Read: Delhi-NCR Air Quality To Dip To 'Very Poor' Ahead Of Diwali, Ending 4-Month Clean-Air Streak

9. Mumbai, India

Mumbai, at 155 AQI, is also among the most polluted cities in the world. The city is also known as the financial capital of India. However, the pollution rise is due to construction, traffic, and burning waste. Additionally, the Diwali spikes the AQI score of the city into the ‘Unhealthy’ range.

10. Karachi, Pakistan

Karachi, Pakistan, concludes the list of the top 10 most polluted cities in the world, with an Air Quality Index of 152. The high AQI scores here are due to industrial emissions and poor waste management in the city.