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.

Afghanistan's Nangarhar Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Nangarhar

Nangarhar faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.1 million across 20 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 31.4µg/m³. That's 6.3 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 521 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 Nangarhar met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.58 years longer.

That's 5.4M years of life stolen from 2.1 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 Nangarhar. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Muhmand Dara
3.1 years lost
2.Bati Kot
3 years lost
3.Shinwar
2.9 years lost
4.Lal Pur
2.8 years lost
5.Chaparhar
2.7 years lost
6.Kama
2.7 years lost
7.Rodat
2.7 years lost
8.Jalal abad
2.7 years lost
9.Goshta
2.6 years lost
10.Surkh Rod
2.5 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

15-25 µg/m³

6.3%

132K

25-35 µg/m³

79.2%

1.7M

> 35 µg/m³

14.5%

305K

Districts

All 20 Districts in Nangarhar

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Jalal abad	461K	32.8	2.7 years
Rodat	319K	32.9	2.7 years
Surkh Rod	231K	30.2	2.5 years
Chaparhar	133K	33.0	2.7 years
Khogyani	113K	26.2	2.1 years
Kama	108K	32.9	2.7 years
Muhmand Dara	104K	36.3	3.1 years
Bati Kot	102K	35.4	3.0 years
Shinwar	99K	35.0	2.9 years
Achin	82K	27.2	2.2 years
Sherzad	64K	24.8	1.9 years
Kuz Kunar	62K	28.6	2.3 years
Pachir Wa Agam	38K	26.8	2.1 years
Hisarak	36K	23.3	1.8 years
Dih Bala	34K	26.9	2.1 years
Goshta	33K	31.5	2.6 years
Dara-I-Nur	31K	24.3	1.9 years
Dur Baba	23K	29.6	2.4 years
Lal Pur	21K	34.1	2.8 years
Nazyan	9K	28.4	2.3 years

Showing 20 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Nangarhar is Injurious to Health.