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Khaled Saifulla 15 Dec 2025 , 7:25 AM Print Edition
India’s capital, Delhi, has climbed to the top of the list for worst air quality among 127 countries worldwide. Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka, currently holds the tenth position on this list.
According to the Air Quality Index (AQI) published by the Switzerland-based company IQAir at 10:33 AM, Delhi’s air quality scored a dangerous 316. This reading falls under the ‘Disaster’ category, the highest and most severe air quality standard.
| Rank | City/Country | AQI Score | Category |
| 1st | Delhi, India | 316 | Disaster |
| 2nd | Karachi, Pakistan | 200 | Unhealthy |
| 3rd | Lahore, Pakistan | 200 | Unhealthy |
| 4th | Kuwait City, Kuwait | 183 | Unhealthy |
| 10th | Dhaka, Bangladesh | 155 | Unhealthy |
IQAir Air Quality Standards
| AQI Score Range | Quality Standard | Health Implications |
| 0–50 | Good | Satisfactory |
| 51–100 | Moderate | Acceptable |
| 101–150 | Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups | General public healthy, but sensitive groups may experience effects. |
| 151–200 | Unhealthy | Everyone may begin to experience health effects. |
| 201–300 | Very Unhealthy | Health warnings of emergency conditions. |
| 301+ | Disaster | Emergency conditions. Serious risk of health effects for all. |
