Air pollution threatens the health of 3.4 million people across 8 districts in Lusaka. The average PM2.5 level is 25.6 µg/m³—5.1× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Lusaka faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.4 million across 8 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 25.6µg/m³. That's 5.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 425 cigarettes in a year.
If Lusaka met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.04 years longer.
That's 7.0M years of life stolen from 3.4 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 8 most polluted districts in Lusaka. 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 Lusaka, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lusaka | 2.4M | 26.1 | 2.1 years |
| Chongwe | 340K | 24.7 | 1.9 years |
| Chilanga | 263K | 24.2 | 1.9 years |
| Kafue | 186K | 24.0 | 1.9 years |
| Rufunsa | 94K | 25.9 | 2.0 years |
| Shibuyunji | 78K | 23.4 | 1.8 years |
| Luangwa | 34K | 28.8 | 2.3 years |
| Chirundu | 32K | 22.8 | 1.7 years |
Showing 8 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.