Archive · 6 Oct 2026
Dhaka Ranks World’s Most Polluted City with AQI 213
Dhaka was ranked as the city with the dirtiest air in the report’s comparison on Tuesday.
Its air quality score was 213.
The report called that level “very unhealthy,” although its description of the score scale contains a conflicting label.
Kuala Lumpur and Singapore were also among the top three.
The article says Dhaka’s air often gets worse in winter and improves during the rainy monsoon season.
A study discussed in the article examined fine-particle pollution in six Bangladeshi cities.
It estimated that this pollution is linked to many early deaths and large economic losses each year.
The World Health Organization says air pollution is a major health problem around the world.
Dhaka ranked first among the world’s most polluted cities at 11:10 a.m. Tuesday, with an AQI of 213.
The report described Dhaka’s air as “very unhealthy,” while the article’s AQI scale section inconsistently labels readings of 201–300 “very healthy.”
Kuala Lumpur ranked second with an AQI of 208, and Singapore ranked third with 179.
The article says Dhaka’s air quality usually worsens in winter and improves during the monsoon season.
A study cited in the report estimated PM2.5 pollution causes about 88,240 premature deaths each year in six major Bangladeshi cities and nearly $23 billion in annual economic losses.
- Who
- Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital, and the cities ranked alongside it.
- What
- Dhaka was ranked the world’s most polluted city, with an AQI of 213.
- When
- Tuesday at 11:10 a.m. local time.
- Where
- Dhaka, Bangladesh; the rankings also included Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
- Why
- The ranking was based on air-quality readings; the article says AQI uses measurements of five major pollutants.
- Dhaka AQI
- 213 at 11:10 a.m. local time Tuesday
- Dhaka ranking
- First among the cities listed
- Kuala Lumpur AQI
- 208; ranked second
- Singapore AQI
- 179; ranked third
- AQI scale discrepancy
- The report calls Dhaka’s air “very unhealthy,” but its scale description calls readings of 201–300 “very healthy.”
- Study period
- The cited study analysed data from 2013 to 2021.
- Study estimate
- PM2.5 pollution was linked to an estimated 88,240 premature deaths annually across six major Bangladeshi cities and nearly $23 billion in yearly economic losses.