Staff Correspondent

Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka ranked 22nd among the world’s cities for air pollution on Sunday, with an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 77 recorded at 8:30am. The city’s air quality was classified as “moderate” or “acceptable.”

The data was published by IQAir, a Switzerland-based air quality monitoring organisation.

According to IQAir’s ranking, Pakistan’s Lahore topped the list of the world’s most polluted cities with an AQI score of 191, indicating “unhealthy” air quality.

Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa ranked second with a score of 180, followed by Dubai in the United Arab Emirates with 179, Jakarta in Indonesia with 172, and Singapore City with 154.

What AQI Scores Mean

According to IQAir’s air quality classification, an AQI score between 0 and 50 is considered “good,” while a score of 51 to 100 indicates “moderate” or “acceptable” air quality.

An AQI between 101 and 150 is considered “unhealthy for sensitive groups.” A score of 151 to 200 indicates “unhealthy” air, while 201 to 300 is classified as “very unhealthy.” An AQI above 300 is considered “hazardous.”