Loni in UP is world's most polluted city: IQAir report
India
Loni in Uttar Pradesh has just been named the most polluted city on the planet, according to IQAir's 2025 report.
Its air quality is more than 22 times worse than what the World Health Organization says is safe, and its annual PM2.5 rose nearly 23% compared with 2024.
Delhi isn't doing much better: it's now ranked fourth globally; New Delhi is named the world's most polluted capital.
India remains 6th most polluted country
India remains the sixth most polluted country overall, even though average PM2.5 levels fell modestly in 2025 — about 3% (from 50.6 ug/m3 in 2024 to 48.9 ug/m3).
Cities like Ghaziabad, Noida, and Gurugram are also on the list for high pollution.
Experts say current efforts aren't enough and are urging for tougher rules to actually clean up India's air.