Air pollution threatens the health of 6.3 million people across 14 districts in Kabul. The average PM2.5 level is 22.6 Āµg/mĀ³ā4.5Ć higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Kabul faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 6.3 million across 14 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 22.6Āµg/mĀ³. That's 4.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5Āµg/mĀ³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 375 cigarettes in a year.
If Kabul met the WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³, the average person would live 1.72 years longer.
That's 10.9M years of life stolen from 6.3 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 10 most polluted districts in Kabul. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Distribution of population across different PM2.5 pollution levels. The WHO guideline is 5 Āµg/mĀ³āonly populations below this threshold are breathing safe air.
Complete air quality data for every district in Kabul, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 Āµg/mĀ³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kabul City | 2.8M | 23.3 | 1.8 years |
| Bagrami | 1.2M | 22.8 | 1.7 years |
| Dih Sabz | 927K | 23.1 | 1.8 years |
| Paghman | 432K | 20.2 | 1.5 years |
| Shakar Dara | 426K | 20.4 | 1.5 years |
| Chahar Asyab | 117K | 20.7 | 1.5 years |
| Qarabagh | 93K | 22.2 | 1.7 years |
| Surobi | 76K | 23.4 | 1.8 years |
| Mirbacha Kot | 60K | 21.0 | 1.6 years |
| Musayi | 51K | 20.1 | 1.5 years |
| Gul dara | 33K | 18.8 | 1.4 years |
| Kalakan | 30K | 21.8 | 1.6 years |
| Istalif | 25K | 20.1 | 1.5 years |
| Khaki Jabar | 25K | 19.8 | 1.4 years |
Showing 14 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 Āµg/mĀ³.