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.

Tunisia's Tunis Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Tunis

Tunis faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.4 million across 23 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.2µg/m³. That's 2.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 186 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 Tunis met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.62 years longer.

That's 887K years of life stolen from 1.4 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 Tunis. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Bouhaira
0.7 years lost
2.Jebel Jelloud
0.7 years lost
3.Kabaria
0.7 years lost
4.Cité El Khadra
0.7 years lost
5.El Ouardia
0.7 years lost
6.Sidi El Béchir
0.7 years lost
7.Médina
0.7 years lost
8.La Marsa
0.7 years lost
9.Bab Bhar
0.7 years lost
10.Sijoumi
0.7 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

10-15 µg/m³

100%

1.4M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 23 Districts in Tunis

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Sidi Hassine	165K	10.6	0.5 years
Bardo	154K	10.7	0.6 years
Cité El Khadra	119K	11.9	0.7 years
La Marsa	93K	11.7	0.7 years
Sabkhet Sijoumi	89K	11.0	0.6 years
Unknown	85K	10.6	0.5 years
Bouhaira	69K	12.2	0.7 years
El Menzah	68K	11.2	0.6 years
Omrane Supérieur	67K	10.7	0.6 years
Hrairia	64K	10.8	0.6 years
La Goulette	59K	11.5	0.6 years
Bab Bhar	56K	11.7	0.7 years
El Ouardia	56K	11.8	0.7 years
Omrane	41K	11.1	0.6 years
Sijoumi	34K	11.7	0.7 years
Carthage	32K	11.2	0.6 years
Sidi El Béchir	31K	11.8	0.7 years
Ezzouhour	31K	11.0	0.6 years
Bab Souika	29K	11.4	0.6 years
El Tahrir	28K	10.5	0.5 years
Médina	21K	11.8	0.7 years
Jebel Jelloud	20K	12.0	0.7 years
Kabaria	17K	12.0	0.7 years

Showing 23 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Tunis is Injurious to Health.