Jakarta records worst air quality worldwide as UN warns of surging population and land‑subsidence risk

Air monitoring data from IQAir showed Jakarta's Air Quality Index reached 180 on Monday morning, making it the most polluted city on the planet. The unhealthy PM2.5 concentration of 96 µg/m³ prompted health advisories to avoid outdoor activity and wear masks. The DKI Jakarta provincial government said it would boost monitoring systems, test vehicle emissions and review its air‑pollution control strategy ahead of the dry season.

The United Nations' World Urbanization Prospects 2025 report placed Jakarta at the top of the global city‑density ranking with an estimated 42 million residents, overtaking Tokyo. The UN warned that rapid population growth could trigger land subsidence and sea‑level rise, potentially affecting a quarter of the city by 2050, and noted that the forthcoming new capital, Nusantara, does not curb this trend.