SmogRank / World / Africa

Most polluted cities in Africa

10 of 17 measured cities in 8 countries were above the WHO 24-hour guideline over the last 24 hours. The worst was Kampala, Uganda, at 32.7 µg/m³.

ZimbabweZambiaYemenUzbekistanSaint HelenaUnited Arab Emirates: 1 measured cityUganda: 1 measured cityTurkmenistanTurkey: 1 measured cityTunisiaTogoTanzaniaSyriaEswatiniSouth SudanSudanSpain: 50 measured citiesSouth Africa: 1 measured citySomaliaSierra Leone: 1 measured citySeychellesSenegal: 3 measured citiesSaudi ArabiaSao Tome and PrincipeRwandaQatarPortugal: 3 measured citiesOmanNigeria: 3 measured citiesNigerNamibiaMozambiqueMoroccoWestern SaharaMauritiusMauritaniaMalta: 4 measured citiesMaliMalawi: 4 measured citiesMadagascarLibyaLiberiaLesothoLebanon: 3 measured citiesKuwaitKenyaJordanItaly: 3 measured citiesIsraelPalestinian TerritoryIraqIranGuinea-BissauGuineaGreece: 1 measured cityGhana: 3 measured citiesGambiaGabonFrance: 81 measured citiesEthiopiaEritreaEquatorial GuineaEgyptDjiboutiCyprusIvory Coast: 1 measured cityDemocratic Republic of the CongoRepublic of the CongoComorosChadCentral African RepublicCameroonBurundiBurkina FasoBotswanaBeninBahrainAzerbaijan: 1 measured cityArmenia: 1 measured cityAngolaAlgeriaAlbaniaAfghanistan
Each dot is a measured city, coloured by its PM2.5 over the last 24 hours; tap a country to open it.
← Kampala 32.7 µg/m³ 30 µg/m³15 WHO 24-hour guideline0
Every measured city in Africa, one column each, worst on the left and cleanest on the right; height is PM2.5 in µg/m³. Point at it to read a city; tap to open it.

Countries

CountryCitiesMedianCities by bandWorst city
Uganda132.7 Kampala 32.7
Malawi425.5 Mzuzu 28.8
Nigeria322.5 Ibadan 24.6
Ghana319.0 Tema 23.5
Sierra Leone117.2 Freetown 17.2
Ivory Coast112.3 Abidjan 12.3
Senegal38.1 Ziguinchor 11.2
South Africa13.1 Shakaskraal 3.1

Worst cities

  1. 1Kampalalow-cost sensorsCentral Region, Uganda 952.2×
  2. 2Mzuzulow-cost sensorsNorthern Region, Malawi 881.9×
  3. 3Lilongwelow-cost sensorsCentral Region, Malawi 851.8×
  4. 4Ibadanlow-cost sensorsOyo State, Nigeria 801.6×
  5. 5Zombalow-cost sensorsSouthern Region, Malawi 781.6×
  6. 6Temalow-cost sensorsGreater Accra, Ghana 781.6×
  7. 7Lagoslow-cost sensorsLagos, Nigeria 761.5×
  8. 8Abujalow-cost sensorsFCT, Nigeria 751.5×
  9. 9Ashaimanlow-cost sensorsGreater Accra, Ghana 691.3×
  10. 10Freetownlow-cost sensorsWestern Area, Sierra Leone 661.1×
  11. 11Accralow-cost sensorsGreater Accra, Ghana 600.9×
  12. 12Blantyrelow-cost sensorsSouthern Region, Malawi 580.9×
  13. 13Abidjanlow-cost sensorsAbidjan Autonomous District, Ivory Coast 570.8×
  14. 14Ziguinchorlow-cost sensorsZiguinchor, Senegal 550.7×
  15. 15Dakarlow-cost sensorsDakar, Senegal 450.5×
  16. 16Thièslow-cost sensorsThies, Senegal 410.5×
  17. 17Shakaskraallow-cost sensorsKwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 170.2×
All cities in the world
Good0–50
Moderate51–100
Sensitive groups101–150
Unhealthy151–200
Very unhealthy201–300
Hazardous301+

The US EPA's Air Quality Index for PM2.5 (2024 breakpoints). Show values as: µg/m³ · US AQI · India AQI · China AQI · European AQI · UK DAQI · Canada AQHI+. About the scales

Updated 2026-10-02 06:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors, as the US AQI PM2.5 sub-index.