Air quality in May: cleanest & most polluted destinations

Where the air is cleanest — and worst — to travel in May, ranked by the monthly-mean US Air Quality Index (AQI) across 600+ destinations. Lower is better: 0–50 is good, 100+ starts to bite, 150+ is unhealthy. Tap any place for its full May weather and air-quality breakdown.

Worst air quality in May

  1. 1Dakhla Western SaharaVery unhealthy227
  2. 2Hotan 🇨🇳 ChinaVery unhealthy225
  3. 3Laayoune Western SaharaUnhealthy194
  4. 4Nouakchott 🇲🇷 MauritaniaUnhealthy177
  5. 5Riyadh 🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaUnhealthy171
  6. 6Jakarta 🇮🇩 IndonesiaUnhealthy169
  7. 7Ürümqi 🇨🇳 ChinaUnhealthy157
  8. 8Agra 🇮🇳 IndiaUnhealthy154
  9. 9Kuwait City 🇰🇼 KuwaitUnhealthy153
  10. 10Delhi 🇮🇳 IndiaUnhealthy for sensitive groups146
  11. 11Skardu 🇵🇰 PakistanUnhealthy for sensitive groups140
  12. 12Jeddah 🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaUnhealthy for sensitive groups138
  13. 13Chengdu 🇨🇳 ChinaUnhealthy for sensitive groups138
  14. 14Bandung 🇮🇩 IndonesiaUnhealthy for sensitive groups135
  15. 15Mecca 🇸🇦 Saudi ArabiaUnhealthy for sensitive groups134

Cleanest air in May

  1. 1Honiara 🇸🇧 Solomon IslandsGood14
  2. 2Nadi 🇫🇯 FijiGood16
  3. 3Nelson 🇳🇿 New ZealandGood17
  4. 4Puerto Madryn 🇦🇷 ArgentinaGood17
  5. 5Samaipata 🇧🇴 BoliviaGood17
  6. 6Christchurch 🇳🇿 New ZealandGood18
  7. 7Dunedin 🇳🇿 New ZealandGood18
  8. 8Kaikōura 🇳🇿 New ZealandGood18
  9. 9Nosy Be 🇲🇬 MadagascarGood18
  10. 10Raja Ampat 🇮🇩 IndonesiaGood18
  11. 11Tilcara 🇦🇷 ArgentinaGood18
  12. 12Antsiranana 🇲🇬 MadagascarGood19
  13. 13Falls Creek 🇦🇺 AustraliaGood19
  14. 14Lake Tekapo 🇳🇿 New ZealandGood19
  15. 15Mount Buller 🇦🇺 AustraliaGood19