Medan Listed Among Cities with 'Moderate' Air Quality, Still Better Than Kuala Lumpur and Hanoi

Good air quality in a city can be one consideration for travellers visiting it. However, the reality is that air pollution still threatens many cities worldwide.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) Air Pollution Data Portal, around 90 percent of the world's population lives in areas where pollution levels exceed safe thresholds. 

WHO explains in its report that air pollution is defined as the contamination of the indoor and outdoor environment by any chemical, physical, or biological agent that alters the natural characteristics of the atmosphere.

Furthermore, WHO data also shows nearly the entire global population (99 percent) breathes air containing pollutants exceeding health guidelines. 

Low- and middle-income countries are even recorded as having the highest exposure, including Indonesia.

Nevertheless, good news comes from major cities in Southeast Asia, including Medan, which are slowly showing improvements in their air quality. 

Based on IQAir data as of October 6, 2025 at 18:51 WIB (UTC+7), Medan ranks fifth on the list of cities with the best air quality in Southeast Asia, with a score of 52.

This score places Medan in the "moderate" category, meaning it is still safe for daily activities, though caution is still needed, especially for sensitive groups like children and the elderly.

Here is the complete list of 10 cities with the best air quality in Southeast Asia according to IQAir:

1. Yangon, Myanmar – 27

2. Bangkok, Thailand – 31

3. Chiang Mai, Thailand – 33

4. Kuching, Malaysia – 40

5. Medan, Indonesia – 52

6. Singapore – 53

7. Phnom Penh, Cambodia – 53

8. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 58

9. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – 58

10. Hanoi, Vietnam – 68

The air quality indicators according to IQAir are:

0–50: Good

51–100: Moderate

101–150: Unhealthy for sensitive groups

151–200: Unhealthy

201–300: Very unhealthy

301+: Hazardous

With a score of 52, Medan is still on the threshold of the "good" category and shows great potential to become one of the cities with the cleanest air in Indonesia.

Yangon, Myanmar, is currently the city with the cleanest air in the region with a score of 27, followed by Bangkok, Chiang Mai, and Kuching.

This news can be a new motivation for the people of Medan and the local government to continue strengthening environmentally friendly policies, ranging from transportation management and urban green spaces to emission control. 

If these efforts continue, it's not impossible that Medan could one day rise to become a "good" air quality city like Yangon.