PM2.5 stands for particulate matter 2.5 microns or smaller. These particles are 30 times thinner than a human hair and come from car exhaust, power plants, wildfires, and burning fuel. They are small enough to bypass your body's natural defenses and enter your bloodstream.

How does air pollution affect the body?

Air pollution affects virtually every organ in the body. PM2.5 particles enter your lungs, pass into your bloodstream, and travel to your heart, brain, kidneys, liver, and other organs. This causes chronic inflammation, increasing risks of heart disease, stroke, lung cancer, dementia, and many other conditions.

How many people are affected by air pollution?

99% of the global population breathes air that exceeds WHO safety guidelines. Air pollution kills approximately 8 million people every year—more than AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

Algeria's Alger Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Alger

Alger faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 4.0 million across 26 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 6.4µg/m³. That's 1.3 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 106 cigarettes in a year.

Trends

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Health Impact

Life Expectancy Impact

If Alger met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.13 years longer.

That's 522K years of life stolen from 4.0 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Most Polluted

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Alger. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ain Benian
0.2 years lost
2.Bouzareah
0.2 years lost
3.Les Eucalyptus
0.1 years lost
4.Dar El Beida
0.1 years lost
5.Ouled Fayet
0.1 years lost
6.Birtouta
0.1 years lost
7.Baraki
0.1 years lost
8.Haraoua
0.1 years lost
9.Kouba
0.1 years lost
10.Rouiba
0.1 years lost

Exposure

Population Exposure by Pollution Level

Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³—only populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.

< 5 µg/m³

5-10 µg/m³

100%

4.0M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 26 Districts in Alger

Complete air quality data for every district in Alger, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Bouzareah	1.0M	6.5	0.2 years
Kouba	659K	6.5	0.1 years
Bordj El Kiffan	406K	6.3	0.1 years
Djasr Kasentina	340K	6.4	0.1 years
Les Eucalyptus	213K	6.5	0.1 years
Dar El Beida	133K	6.5	0.1 years
Cheraga	130K	6.4	0.1 years
Baraki	127K	6.5	0.1 years
Reghaia	106K	6.4	0.1 years
Ain Benian	106K	6.5	0.2 years
El Achour	101K	6.3	0.1 years
Douera	97K	6.3	0.1 years
Rouiba	85K	6.4	0.1 years
Haraoua	79K	6.5	0.1 years
Staoueli	64K	6.1	0.1 years
Zeralda	48K	6.3	0.1 years
Saoula	47K	6.4	0.1 years
Sidi Moussa	46K	6.2	0.1 years
Birtouta	37K	6.5	0.1 years
Draria	36K	6.4	0.1 years
Ouled Chebel	25K	6.0	0.1 years
Khraicia	25K	6.3	0.1 years
Mahelma	23K	6.3	0.1 years
Ouled Fayet	20K	6.5	0.1 years
Tessala-El-Merdja	19K	6.3	0.1 years
Souidania	15K	6.3	0.1 years

Showing 26 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Alger is Injurious to Health.