Air pollution threatens the health of 3.7 million people across 4 districts in North West. The average PM2.5 level is 30.4 µg/m³—6.1× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
North West faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.7 million across 4 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 30.4µg/m³. That's 6.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 504 cigarettes in a year.
If North West met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.48 years longer.
That's 9.1M years of life stolen from 3.7 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 4 most polluted districts in North West. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
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.
Complete air quality data for every district in North West, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bojanala | 1.6M | 44.1 | 3.8 years |
| Ngaka Modiri Molema | 904K | 19.9 | 1.5 years |
| Dr Kenneth Kaunda | 708K | 24.8 | 1.9 years |
| Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati | 490K | 14.1 | 0.9 years |
Showing 4 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.