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 Oran Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Oran

Oran faces significant air pollution challenges. 38% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.9 million across 26 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 5.3µg/m³. That's 1.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 88 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 Oran met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.06 years longer.

That's 116K years of life stolen from 1.9 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 Oran. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Marsat El Hadjadj
0.1 years lost
2.Es Senia
0.1 years lost
3.Oran
0.1 years lost
4.El Kerma
0 years lost
5.Sidi Chahmi
0 years lost
6.Mers El Kebir
0 years lost
7.Bir El Djir
0 years lost
8.Arzew
0 years lost
9.Bethioua
0 years lost
10.Hassi Bounif
0 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

17.9%

344K

5-10 µg/m³

82.1%

1.6M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 26 Districts in Oran

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Oran	1.1M	5.5	0.1 years
Arzew	102K	5.2	0.0 years
Es Senia	95K	5.8	0.1 years
Bir El Djir	95K	5.3	0.0 years
Sidi Chahmi	85K	5.4	0.0 years
Hassi Bounif	68K	5.1	0.0 years
Gdyel	48K	4.9	0.0 years
Ain Turk	37K	4.8	0.0 years
Ain Biya	37K	4.8	0.0 years
Boutlelis	29K	3.1	0.0 years
Misserghin	29K	4.1	0.0 years
Ben Freha	25K	4.8	0.0 years
Bethioua	23K	5.2	0.0 years
Oued Tlelat	22K	4.6	0.0 years
Mers El Kebir	21K	5.4	0.0 years
El Kerma	19K	5.4	0.0 years
Hassi Ben Okba	18K	4.9	0.0 years
Tafraoui	16K	4.9	0.0 years
Bousfer	16K	4.6	0.0 years
Marsat El Hadjadj	15K	6.1	0.1 years
Boufatis	13K	4.4	0.0 years
Ain Kerma	13K	3.9	0.0 years
El Ançar	13K	4.4	0.0 years
Hassi Mefsoukh	12K	4.7	0.0 years
Sidi Ben Yebka	11K	4.7	0.0 years
El Braya	6K	4.7	0.0 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 Oran is Injurious to Health.