Jakarta has the world's worst air quality on Thursday morning

Jakarta’s air quality deteriorated again, placing the Indonesian capital as the world’s worst large city for air pollution on Thursday morning (21 May 2026).

According to data from the official IQAir site, monitored at 06:00 Western Indonesian Time (WIB), Jakarta’s Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 175, in the ‘unhealthy’ category. The main pollutant cited is PM2.5, with a concentration reaching 90 micrograms per cubic metre. IQAir noted that air quality at that level can affect public health in general, particularly sensitive groups such as children, the elderly, and residents with respiratory conditions. In addition to unhealthy air, Jakarta also topped the list of the most polluted major cities in the world in the 05:00-06:00 WIB monitoring period. Below Jakarta, other cities from various countries also ranked poorly, with Santiago, Chile in second place at AQI 157. In recent weeks, IQAir has repeatedly recorded Jakarta among the world’s worst air-quality cities. According to IQAir’s monitoring, the morning air temperature in Jakarta was around 28 degrees Celsius, with humidity at 89 percent and wind speed about 4 kilometres per hour. This condition also influences the dispersion of pollutants in the air. The public is advised to reduce outdoor activities, wear a mask when outdoors, and maintain indoor air quality to reduce the risk of exposure to air pollution.