{"id":12622,"date":"2026-02-17T18:12:04","date_gmt":"2026-02-17T10:12:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/?p=12622"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:18:21","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T12:18:21","slug":"most-polluted-city-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/smartairfilters.com\/en\/blog\/most-polluted-city-china\/","title":{"rendered":"10 Worst Air Quality Cities in China (2025 AQI Rankings)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cities in China have consistently ranked among the most polluted in the world. Just how bad is it? Smart Air analyzed 2025 pollution data from 169 cities in China to find the most polluted cities in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rankings: Most Polluted Cities in China (2025)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Hotan Prefecture, Xinjiang Province (115.7 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Hotan<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

2. Kashgar Prefecture, Xinjiang Province (92 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Kashgar<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

3. Aksu, Xinjiang (75.7 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Aksu,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

4. Wujiaqu, Xinjiang (52.1 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Wujiaqu,
A view of Qinggeda Lake in Wujiaqu, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region [Photo\/VCG]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

5. Turpan, Xinjiang (46.3 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Turpan,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

6. Xianyang, Shaanxi (45.1 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Xianyang,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

7. Anyang, Henan (45.1 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Anyang,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

8. Luohe, Henan (45.1 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Luohe,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

9. Xuchang, Henan Province (44.9 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Xuchang,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

10. Kaifeng, Henan (44.4 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/h4>\n\n\n
\n
\"Kaifeng,<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The most severe levels are concentrated in Xinjiang province<\/strong>, where Hotan (115.7), Kashgar (92), Aksu (75.7), Wujiaqu (52.1), and Turpan (46.3) dominate the top of the list. These exceptionally high readings are largely influenced by desert geography, dust storms from the Taklamakan Desert, and arid climate conditions, in addition to local industrial and urban emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond Xinjiang, several cities in Henan province<\/strong> (Anyang, Luohe, Xuchang, Kaifeng) and Shaanxi (Xianyang)<\/strong> also appear in the high-pollution category, with PM2.5 levels around 45 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3. These regions are part of China\u2019s industrial and coal-reliant northern belt, where winter heating emissions, heavy industry, traffic density, and basin-like topography contribute to pollutant accumulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a health perspective, all cities in this list are significantly above the WHO annual guideline of 5 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3<\/strong>, and even exceed China\u2019s own national air quality standard (35 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3 annual average for Grade II areas). Levels above 50 \u00b5g\/m\u00b3 represent serious long-term exposure risks, including increased respiratory and cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Air Pollution Was Measured<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are various pollutants (both particles and gases) that can be found in the air. One of the most commonly tracked pollutants is very small, fine particles called PM2.5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These small pollutants are under 2.5 \u03bcg in width and are considered to be one of the more dangerous pollutants<\/a> due to their ability to enter deep into the lungs and bloodstream. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recommended limits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The limit that is closely aligned with what studies show about the health effects of pollution<\/a> is the annual limit of 5 \u03bcg\/m3<\/sup>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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