IQAir ranks Singapore’s air quality now as the world’s most polluted, but netizens ask, ‘The pollution came from Indonesia, so how can SG be the worst?’

Singapore topped the list of most polluted cities according to IQAir's live ranking on October 16, with Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in second place. The city's air quality entered the "very unhealthy" range due to haze from Indonesian forest fires. This ranking sparked confusion among netizens, who questioned how Singapore could be the world's most polluted city when pollution levels in parts of Indonesia were far higher.

The ranking does not indicate the source of the pollution but rather the severity of Singapore's exposure to the haze. It compares real-time air quality across major cities but does not rank every location within a country. Therefore, Singapore's top position does not imply its pollution originated within the city, nor does it suggest that every Indonesian city or province had cleaner air. The ranking merely highlights the impact of the regional haze crisis on Singapore's air quality.