Linfen, China

Capital City

This once-idyllic city of 3,976,481 people is now an industrial hellscape. Decades of reckless coal mining and heavy manufacturing have turned Linfen into one of the most polluted places on Earth. Despite recent cleanup efforts, the air quality remains abysmal, with the city ranking near the bottom of global rankings. Bureaucratic headaches are also a persistent issue, as the local government has struggled to rein in the unchecked expansion of polluting industries. Unless you're a hardened coal miner or industrial worker willing to brave the choking smog, Linfen is not the place for the average expat.