Dhaka has placed 15th among cities with the worst air quality, recording an Air Quality Index (AQI) score of 88 at 9:40 am today (July 15, 2025), according to air quality monitoring data.

The air in the capital was categorized as ‘moderate’—posing a minor health concern for sensitive individuals. Under the AQI system, a score between 51 and 100 indicates moderate air quality, where people with respiratory conditions or other sensitivities may need to limit prolonged outdoor activity.

Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo topped today’s list with an AQI of 195, followed by Hanoi in Vietnam at 170 and Santiago in Chile at 163. These levels fall into the ‘unhealthy’ and ‘unhealthy for sensitive groups’ categories.

The AQI serves as a daily public measure of air cleanliness or pollution and highlights related health risks. In Bangladesh, it is calculated based on concentrations of five pollutants: PM10, PM2.5, nitrogen dioxide (NO?), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO?), and ozone (O?).

Dhaka has struggled with air pollution for years, especially during the dry winter season when dust and emissions increase, while the monsoon typically brings some relief by improving air quality.

Globally, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that air pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths annually, with links to conditions such as stroke, heart disease, chronic respiratory diseases, lung cancer, and acute respiratory infections.