10 Most Polluted Cities in the World in 2024

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4. Patna, India

AQI Ranking: 9

IQAir Ranking: 10

Situated on the south bank of the Ganges river in Bihar, Patna is one of the most highly polluted cities of the world, ranking #9 on AQI’s index and #10 on IQAir’s. In 2019, Patna saw staggering PM2.5 concentration levels of 428 µg/m³. Some of the major reasons behind such high levels of pollution in the city include the burning of garbage, traffic emissions, floods, and the change of River Ganges’s course, which has left large dry sand areas that blow across the city.

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