SmogRank / World / Africa

Most polluted cities in Africa

30 of 60 measured cities in 12 countries were above the WHO 24-hour guideline over the last 7 days. The worst was Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, at 68.6 µg/m³.

Zimbabwe: 2 measured citiesZambiaYemenUzbekistanSaint HelenaUnited Arab Emirates: 1 measured cityUganda: 1 measured cityTurkmenistanTurkey: 1 measured cityTunisiaTogoTanzaniaSyriaEswatiniSouth SudanSudanSpain: 82 measured citiesSouth Africa: 35 measured citiesSomaliaSierra Leone: 1 measured citySeychellesSenegal: 4 measured citiesSaudi ArabiaSao Tome and PrincipeRwandaQatarPortugal: 5 measured citiesOmanNigeria: 2 measured citiesNigerNamibiaMozambique: 1 measured cityMoroccoWestern SaharaMauritiusMauritaniaMalta: 4 measured citiesMaliMalawi: 4 measured citiesMadagascarLibyaLiberiaLesothoLebanon: 3 measured citiesKuwaitKenyaJordanItaly: 22 measured citiesIsraelPalestinian TerritoryIraqIranGuinea-BissauGuineaGreece: 3 measured citiesGhana: 5 measured citiesGambiaGabonFrance: 94 measured citiesEthiopiaEritreaEquatorial GuineaEgyptDjiboutiCyprusIvory Coast: 2 measured citiesDemocratic Republic of the Congo: 1 measured cityRepublic of the CongoComorosChadCentral African RepublicCameroon: 2 measured citiesBurundiBurkina FasoBotswanaBeninBahrainAzerbaijan: 1 measured cityArmenia: 1 measured cityAngolaAlgeriaAlbania: 1 measured cityAfghanistan
Each dot is a measured city, coloured by its PM2.5 over the last 7 days; tap a country to open it.
← Kinshasa 68.6 µg/m³ 60 µg/m³15 WHO 24-hour guideline
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
Democratic Republic of the Congo168.6 Kinshasa 68.6
Uganda158.4 Kampala 58.4
Malawi446.3 Lilongwe 46.7
Nigeria225.8 Ibadan 26.9
Zimbabwe225.0 Beitbridge 25.4
Sierra Leone117.3 Freetown 17.3
Ghana516.4 Ashaiman 22.7
Cameroon216.0 Douala 18.8
Ivory Coast212.6 Abidjan 14.4
South Africa3512.4 Tzaneen 34.0
Senegal410.1 Saint-Louis 38.6
Mozambique15.9 Maputo 5.9

Worst cities

  1. 1Kinshasalow-cost sensorsKinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo 160
  2. 2Kampalalow-cost sensorsCentral Region, Uganda 153
  3. 3Lilongwelow-cost sensorsCentral Region, Malawi 129
  4. 4Zombalow-cost sensorsSouthern Region, Malawi 128
  5. 5Blantyrelow-cost sensorsSouthern Region, Malawi 127
  6. 6Saint-Louislow-cost sensorsSaint-Louis, Senegal 109
  7. 7Mzuzulow-cost sensorsNorthern Region, Malawi 105
  8. 8TzaneenLimpopo, South Africa 97
  9. 9VereenigingGauteng, South Africa 86
  10. 10Ibadanlow-cost sensorsOyo State, Nigeria 84
  11. 11LeslieMpumalanga, South Africa 84
  12. 12Beitbridgelow-cost sensorsMatabeleland South Province, Zimbabwe 81
  13. 13Hararelow-cost sensorsHarare, Zimbabwe 80
  14. 14Lagoslow-cost sensorsLagos, Nigeria 80
  15. 15Ashaimanlow-cost sensorsGreater Accra, Ghana 76
  16. 16EvatonGauteng, South Africa 74
  17. 17Temalow-cost sensorsGreater Accra, Ghana 73
  18. 18SasolburgFree State, South Africa 71
  19. 19TokozaGauteng, South Africa 70
  20. 20Doualalow-cost sensorsLittoral, Cameroon 69
  21. 21ThabazimbiLimpopo, South Africa 68
  22. 22DurbanKwaZulu-Natal, South Africa 67
  23. 23KraaifonteinWestern Cape, South Africa 67
  24. 24Freetownlow-cost sensorsWestern Area, Sierra Leone 66
  25. 25TshiterekeLimpopo, South Africa 65
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 16:07 UTC. Values are PM2.5 (fine particles), the median of each city's monitors, as the US AQI PM2.5 sub-index.