10 cities across the world facing severe pollution, based on user data

Pollution is one of the issues that cities across the world are facing, for which many have been implementing measures to deal with it. Hazy skylines, irritated throats, while the constant hum of traffic that never quite stops. For millions living in these cities, pollution is that issue that they need to deal with on a daily basis. Numbeo’s Pollution Index, built largely on user perception data and supplemented with institutional sources like the World Health Organization, offers a snapshot of how residents experience this reality on the ground.
The Pollution Index does not currently show direct concentrations of particulate matter or chemicals. Rather, it reflects how people encounter pollution in their daily lives, how easy the air is to breathe, how clean streets look and how accessible green spaces are. And that's likely why cities such as Gurgaon (11th) and Delhi (13th) are seen emerging further down the list, despite global recognition for severe air pollution.
The index compiles survey responses regarding air and water quality, waste management, noise and light pollution, access to green spaces, and general comfort levels. Individual assessments are transformed into values ranging from 0 to 100, with greater numbers signifying more severe pollution. Although based on perception, the data mirrors lived experience and often correlates closely with scientific measurements. Here are ten cities that are currently among the top in the world according to Numbeo’s Pollution Index.

Kathmandu tops the list, where geography works against the city. Set in a valley, pollutants from vehicles, construction, and brick kilns often get trapped, especially during winter. Combined with rapid urbanisation and limited waste management infrastructure, air quality regularly dips into hazardous levels.

Tetovo’s high ranking often surprises outsiders. Heavy reliance on solid fuels for heating, industrial emissions, and seasonal temperature inversions contribute to persistently poor air quality, particularly during colder months when pollution lingers close to ground level.

Part of India’s National Capital Region, Faridabad struggles with industrial emissions, traffic congestion, and construction dust. Despite being close to Delhi, it often receives less policy attention, even as residents report extremely poor air and limited green buffers.

In winter, the air in Ulaanbaatar often ranks among the worst on earth. Footage from Ulaanbaatar also shows large clouds of particulate matter spewing out of coal-burning stoves used for heating, only to be filtered by cold air and surrounding mountains.

The reason for Dhaka’s pollution problem is density. Crowded roads, an ageing vehicle fleet and brick kilns that damage health and infrastructure to create overload. Water contamination and the problem of disposing trash add to general environmental discomfort.

Beirut’s environmental challenges go beyond air quality. Rising waste management crises, erratic public services and unmitigated urban chaos have chipped away at the residents’ sense of cleanliness and quality of life, pushing the discomfort with pollution even higher.

Rapid economic growth has transformed Ho Chi Minh City—but at a cost. Rising vehicle ownership, construction activity, and limited green spaces have made pollution an increasingly visible part of daily life for residents.

Often labelled a pollution hotspot, Ghaziabad suffers acutely from bad air quality due to the industrialisation, vehicular emissions and its nearness to Delhi. Seasonal crop-burning in neighbouring states only makes the matter worse.

Even though it was developed in a planned manner, Noida grapples with dust from perennial construction, vehicle exhausts and poor tree reserves in fast-growing sectors. In the winter smog episodes, residents say it only gets worse.

Pollution is a problem in Yangon due to traffic, weak food disposal systems and lax environment regulation enforcement. With rapid urbanization, environmental strain is becoming noticeable throughout the city.