Loni tops global pollution list; India ranks 6th in IQAir 2025 report

New Delhi, Mar 24: A town on the outskirts of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad has emerged as the world’s most polluted city, according to the 2025 World Air Quality Report released by Swiss air quality monitoring firm IQAir on Monday.
Loni, located in the National Capital Region (NCR), has been ranked the most polluted city globally, recording an alarming annual average PM2.5 concentration of 112.5 micrograms per cubic metre, nearly 23 per cent higher than 2024 levels and more than 22 times the safe limit prescribed by the World Health Organization (WHO).
“Loni… has been ranked the world’s most polluted city in 2025,” the report stated, underlining the severity of air quality deterioration in the region.
India, meanwhile, ranked sixth among the most polluted countries, with overall pollution levels nearly 10 times higher than WHO guidelines. The report further highlighted that three of the world’s four most polluted cities are in India, while all 25 cities in the global bottom tier are located in India, Pakistan, or China.
Among other Indian cities, Byrnihat in Meghalaya secured the third position globally, while Delhi ranked fourth and also retained its status as the world’s most polluted capital city.
Experts attribute the high pollution levels in Loni and the wider NCR region to a combination of factors, including emissions from industrial units, brick kilns, and heavy vehicular traffic, along with adverse meteorological conditions. During winters, stagnant air traps pollutants close to the ground, worsening the situation.
Additionally, stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is estimated to contribute up to 60 per cent of air pollution in northern India during colder months, significantly aggravating seasonal smog.
The report warned of serious health implications of prolonged exposure to PM2.5 particles, which are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream, leading to diseases such as asthma, heart ailments, and even cancer.
Globally, the findings paint a grim picture. Only 14 per cent of cities worldwide met WHO air quality standards in 2025, down from 17 per cent in the previous year. Pakistan emerged as the most polluted country, with pollution levels 13 times above WHO limits.
The report also noted that wildfires intensified by climate change worsened air quality across parts of North America and Europe, while some Southeast Asian countries, including Laos and Cambodia, witnessed marginal improvements due to favourable La Niña weather conditions.
Highlighting the growing crisis, the report observed, “Clean air remains a privilege, not a given,” adding that “for millions of Indians, clean air is still a distant reality.”