2017-2023

World's most polluted cities

Most polluted city ranking based on annual average PM2.5 concentration (μg/m³)

2023

World Air Quality Report

NEWSROOM
down arrow
down arrow
down arrow
magnifying glass icon
PM2.5 legend

0-5

Meets WHO guideline

5.1-10

Exceeds by 1 to 2 times

10.1-15

Exceeds by 2 to 3 times

15.1-25

Exceeds by 3 to 5 times

25.1-35

Exceeds by 5 to 7 times

35.1-50

Exceeds by 7 to 10 times

>50.1

Exceeds by over 10 times

Rank
City
2023 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017
1 South Africa
Benoni, South Africa
54.9 24.5 16.1 30 47 46.5 96.7 98.6 94.8 61.2 44.7 31.4 24.6 -- -- -- -- -- --
2 South Africa
Bloemfontein, South Africa
49.4 19.1 14 20 66.9 78.8 97.9 106.6 83.1 55.7 21.8 15.6 12 16.2 42.2 17.2 42.3 -- --
3 South Africa
Brits, South Africa
33.6 12.5 9.2 14.6 26.4 28.1 66.1 67.1 58.6 48.2 30.5 19.5 15.4 28.7 21.7 -- -- -- --
4 South Africa
Olifantsfontein, South Africa
32.7 13.5 10.3 17.7 35.4 39 72.3 68.1 44.4 41.8 24.5 15 12.4 -- -- -- -- -- --
5 South Africa
Vereeniging, South Africa
32.4 19.9 16.6 24.2 35.8 31.2 51.7 54 50.9 36.3 26.7 22.5 18.7 24.7 26.6 26.5 30 -- --
6 South Africa
Akasia, South Africa
32.3 25.4 34.7 30.6 39 44 35.1 31.1 26.4 29.5 53.1 20 16.8 -- -- -- -- -- --
7 South Africa
Vereeniging NU, South Africa
31.8 24.1 20.1 24.2 28.9 31.1 49.3 47.5 41.6 31.5 27.6 24.8 23.8 -- -- -- -- -- --
8 South Africa
Alexandra, South Africa
31.6 23.3 16.8 21.8 32.1 31.3 47.8 49.2 46.3 38.1 30 21.3 18 -- -- -- -- -- --
9 South Africa
Soweto, South Africa
29.8 17 12.6 20.4 32.4 26.4 49.3 58.2 53.9 -- 31.3 26.6 16.9 -- -- -- -- -- --
10 South Africa
Springs, South Africa
28.1 14.9 10.9 16.5 30.7 28.8 57.2 51.3 40.5 35.1 26.3 17.5 11.3 -- -- -- -- -- --
11 South Africa
Sasolburg, South Africa
27.3 17.4 12.8 19.9 22.1 23.3 45.5 44.8 40.9 34.9 26.4 20.9 17.7 26.6 27 25.6 31.4 -- --
12 South Africa
Balfour, South Africa
25.1 0 9.3 1.6 49.9 43.6 33.4 37 40 40.2 28.3 22.2 20.2 22 22.4 20.7 -- -- --
13 South Africa
New Germany, South Africa
24.4 14.9 14.8 13.9 15.1 17.1 22.1 30.1 52.2 22.3 21.6 30.2 25.8 -- -- -- -- -- --
14 South Africa
Vanderbijlpark, South Africa
23.6 17 14.3 16 19.1 16.3 25.1 30.3 34.5 25.2 37.9 35.2 12.2 29.5 32.9 -- 34.7 -- --
15 South Africa
Marikana, South Africa
23.1 14.2 11.2 11.5 29.2 24.6 38.7 45.2 34.6 27.5 20.4 13.5 10.9 -- -- -- -- -- --
16 South Africa
Bluff, South Africa
21.9 10 8.8 11.4 16.1 20.3 30.3 38.7 40 35.9 21.9 21.6 16.9 -- -- -- -- -- --
17 South Africa
Pretoria, South Africa
21.1 11.2 10.4 11.9 22.5 21.1 35 37.5 38.2 28.3 17.3 10.6 8.5 21.7 21.6 24.4 25.5 -- --
18 South Africa
Emalahleni, South Africa
21.1 11.7 7.4 18.3 25.5 26.6 36.5 34.8 33 25.5 16.7 12.8 9.6 24.3 -- -- -- -- --
19 South Africa
Khuma, South Africa
20.4 13.3 12.4 12.8 17.9 16.1 27.8 28.3 28.2 24.9 17.7 13.3 10.5 8.7 -- -- -- -- --
20 South Africa
Thabazimbi, South Africa
19.3 1.7 12.4 14.2 24.5 18.2 23.8 20 39.9 24 21.5 14.6 7.9 42.2 26.6 14.7 19.4 -- --
21 South Africa
Middelburg, South Africa
19.1 8.9 5.9 11.3 19.5 20 27.2 31.6 30.9 26.3 15.9 12.1 9.6 18.2 16.2 19.8 26.6 -- --
22 South Africa
Bojanala Platinum, South Africa
18.8 11.2 9.5 10 18.6 20.7 25.9 27.3 26.8 26 16.1 10.8 -- 8.7 21.7 -- -- -- --
23 South Africa
Johannesburg, South Africa
18.7 15.2 14.4 13.9 21.8 19.8 22.7 26.6 23 21.1 15.1 15.9 13 21.7 27.3 22.3 25.3 -- --
24 South Africa
Ermelo, South Africa
18 12.6 5.5 40.2 17.6 16.7 20 24.3 21.9 17.5 11.9 11.1 8.3 14.8 27.8 16.7 28.4 -- --
25 South Africa
Mahikeng, South Africa
17.9 7.4 7.6 -- 21.1 15.3 23.6 21.1 28.5 27.5 20.8 10.3 8.1 8.4 14.3 11.3 26.5 -- --
26 South Africa
Embalenhle, South Africa
16.5 8.5 6.2 5.2 3.2 16.6 22.7 34.4 28.5 23.7 17.7 17.2 14.2 17.4 17.1 15.6 30 -- --
27 South Africa
Rustenburg, South Africa
16.3 11.9 7.5 12.7 20.8 20.4 30.4 33 15.8 21.3 16.4 12 11.2 21.6 25.5 -- -- -- --
28 South Africa
Hartbeespoort, South Africa
15.6 9.7 8.7 9.9 18.6 15.2 26.2 25.9 27 20.5 13.9 6.5 5.4 16.3 17 20.8 60 -- --
29 South Africa
Secunda, South Africa
14.7 3.1 1.9 0 2.7 14.1 25.2 26 27.4 25.6 18.6 15.8 12.2 14.4 17.5 21.8 27.3 -- --
30 South Africa
Howick, South Africa
14.3 9.7 6 9.9 12.6 12.8 18.8 24.9 25.2 18.3 8.9 8.4 8.8 15.4 18.8 -- -- -- --
31 South Africa
Rosebank, South Africa
14.3 19.7 18.2 14.3 14 10.7 13.4 13.8 15.7 11.2 13.2 14.4 13.2 16.2 -- -- -- -- --
32 South Africa
Lephalale, South Africa
13.4 1.5 3.5 22 27.4 16.3 15.3 12.5 15.1 20.1 12.1 7.8 7 12 14.5 12.8 14.1 -- --
33 South Africa
KwaMbonambi, South Africa
12.5 9 9.7 10.9 13.6 12.5 16.7 17 12.9 16.1 12.5 10.9 8.2 12.2 13 -- -- -- --
34 South Africa
Polokwane, South Africa
12.2 -- -- -- -- 7.2 13.7 12.8 16.1 19.2 12 8 6 19.2 23.8 -- -- -- --
35 South Africa
Bethlehem, South Africa
12.1 7.9 6.4 10.7 7.7 11.3 13.7 17.3 23.3 24.5 13.5 9.6 8.1 13.7 14 13.4 12.4 -- --
36 South Africa
Mokopane, South Africa
11.3 10.1 8.3 8.1 13.5 11.1 15.1 13.2 15.4 17.6 9 9.1 6 11.1 12.8 10.5 16.2 -- --
37 South Africa
Klerksdorp, South Africa
10.6 -- 14.6 14.7 17.1 13.7 -- -- 10.4 9.6 6.8 6.1 4.5 4.8 8.3 -- 14.9 -- --
38 South Africa
Hendrina, South Africa
10 13 3.4 13.2 0.9 2.9 13.4 18 19.2 17 10.2 7.1 3.2 9.7 12.7 13.5 21.2 -- --
39 South Africa
Port Shepstone, South Africa
9.6 -- -- -- 10.7 7.9 11.9 12.8 12.8 11.8 6.3 6.3 3.5 -- -- -- -- -- --
40 South Africa
Kraaifontein, South Africa
9.6 8.1 7.8 7.6 10.8 11.5 12 -- -- -- 8.7 9.8 9.4 16.3 20.4 -- -- -- --
41 South Africa
Port Elizabeth, South Africa
9.5 9.9 -- 8.1 9.9 9.7 8.6 11.2 14.5 9.8 8.7 5 9.3 9.3 10.5 9 10.6 -- --
42 South Africa
Gqeberha, South Africa
8.6 7.7 6.9 8 8.9 7.3 6.7 9 13.1 9 7.8 9.8 8.8 -- -- -- -- -- --
43 South Africa
George, South Africa
7.9 -- -- 6.6 7.8 7.5 6.7 11.8 11.5 7.1 6.5 7.6 6.3 10.4 10.2 -- 12.4 -- --
44 South Africa
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
6.8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6.4 23.6 14.1 18.1 15 15.4 11.9 -- -- -- --
45 South Africa
Cape Town, South Africa
5.9 2.8 3.1 4.9 7.8 6.1 8.5 6.3 9.2 5 5.1 6.7 5.2 6.7 7.6 8 11.2 -- --
46 South Africa
Lichtenburg, South Africa
5.1 7.6 3.2 3.8 4.4 5 -- -- 5.4 9.2 6.9 4.1 2.8 2.8 -- -- -- -- --
47 South Africa
Bot River, South Africa
2.8 1 1.2 0.6 4.1 1 4 5.4 5.8 3.4 1.2 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
48 South Africa
Nieuwoudtville, South Africa
2.1 3 4.2 1.9 2 1.8 1.6 2.2 3.7 1.1 1.1 1.4 1.2 3.4 3.9 -- -- -- --

1-48 of 48

1
Jump to page:

Stay Informed. Download #1 air quality app

yellow star ratingyellow star ratingyellow star ratingyellow star ratinghalf yellow star ratingRated 4.8

Air pollution forecast, pollution alerts and much more to help you plan your days and keep protected against air pollution

Link to download AirVisual app on App StoreLink to download AirVisual app on Google PlayLink to download AirVisual app on Android
Cart
Your cart is empty
IQAir Blue Banner

Connect With IQAir

Sign up for our newsletter