Dhaka recorded a moderate air quality index (AQI) of 69 on Thursday morning, ranking 45th among 125 most polluted cities worldwide, according to Swiss-based air quality monitoring platform IQAir.

The reading, taken at 10:00am local time, falls under the ‘tolerable’ or ‘moderate’ category, which indicates that the air quality is acceptable for most individuals, though sensitive groups may experience minor discomfort.

According to IQAir's global AQI scale, 0–50 is considered good, 51–100 is moderate, 101–150 is unhealthy for sensitive groups, 151–200 is unhealthy, 201–300 is very unhealthy, and 301 and above is classified as hazardous.

At the time of reporting, Lahore, Pakistan topped the global list with an AQI of 177, followed by Baghdad, Iraq (168), and Delhi, India (163) — all categorized as ‘unhealthy’.

In Dhaka, the primary pollutant remains fine particulate matter (PM2.5), with concentrations in the air measured at roughly 3.7 times higher than the World Health Organization’s recommended levels.

IQAir provides real-time updates on global air pollution to raise awareness and assist in public health planning.

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