Lahore tops world ranking for worst air quality
![Lahore tops world ranking for worst air quality](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fwalizahid%2F240c36d2-8a13-4e9a-a23f-ace1b076313f_Lahore%2Btops%2Bworld%2Branking%2Bfor%2Bworst%2Bair%2Bquality%2BDec%2B22.png%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat&w=1920&q=75)
Lahore tops the world ranking for worst air quality today, according to AirVisual, the real-time air quality map. Karachi comes at Number 4.
The top ten worst ranked cities include two Indian cities - Delhi and Kolkata. The Air Quality Index (AQI) 2022 top 10 cities ranking also includes Baghdad in Iraq and Mongolian capital. It includes three cities from China: Chongqing, Chengdu and Wuhan.
Globally, South Asian cities are far from providing healthy air to their citizens. Bad air quality decreases average life expectancy besides being a source of the spread of diseases.
![9 December 2022: Peshawar is Pakistan's most polluted city.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fwalizahid%2Ffcc6ca98-2573-41bc-9a25-eb6cd7cc3575_Peshawar%2Bis%2BPakistan%2527s%2Bdirtiest%2Bcity%2Bin%2Bair%2Bquality..png%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat&w=1920&q=75)
Since the AQI ranking is real-time, the city ranking may change as the air quality changes.
![Smog on Multan Road, Lahore](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fwalizahid%2F91ff4223-f500-412f-8abb-83f155804113_Lahore%2Bair%2Bquality%2Bsmog.jpg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat&w=3840&q=75)
Every year in early winters, Lahore and adjoining cities are hit by smog. See, above photo.
See also: Faisalabad world’s 3rd dirtiest city; Lahore 10th
![14 November 2020: Faisalabad tops Pakistani cities in worst air quality ranking. Photo: AQI](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fwalizahid%2Fced2d209-3aed-4c84-9287-d0521c592ff0_Pakistani%2Bcities%2Bwith%2Bworst%2Bair%2Bquality%2B14%2BNov%2B1.png%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat&w=3840&q=75)
![Wali Zahid](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.prismic.io%2Fwalizahid%2F6a55b245-551c-486e-8587-3389720cac27_49572436_803279046731051_4579913130271834112_n.jpg%3Fauto%3Dcompress%2Cformat%26rect%3D0%2C0%2C661%2C661%26w%3D400%26h%3D400&w=128&q=75)
Wali Zahid
Wali Zahid is a longtime China watcher and a Pakistan futurist. An award-winning journalist, he writes on issues of significance to Pakistan and CPEC & BRI.
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