Breathing in Hong Kong is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 7.0 million people across 18 districts in Hong Kong. The average PM2.5 level is 14.5 µg/m³—2.9× higher than the WHO guideline.

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Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Hong Kong

Hong Kong faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 7.0 million across 18 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 14.5µg/m³. That's 2.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 241 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 Hong Kong met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.93 years longer.

That's 6.5M years of life stolen from 7.0 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 Hong Kong. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Central and Western
    1.2 years lost
  • 2.Wan Chai
    1.1 years lost
  • 3.Southern
    1 years lost
  • 4.Yuen Long
    1 years lost
  • 5.Tuen Mun
    1 years lost
  • 6.Islands
    1 years lost
  • 7.North
    1 years lost
  • 8.Kwun Tong
    0.9 years lost
  • 9.Eastern
    0.9 years lost
  • 10.Yau Tsim Mong
    0.9 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
0%
0
5-10 µg/m³
0%
0
10-15 µg/m³
65.7%
4.6M
15-25 µg/m³
34.3%
2.4M
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0
Districts

All 18 Districts in Hong Kong

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Yuen Long1.0M
15.6
1.0 years
Kowloon City631K
14.0
0.9 years
Sham Shui Po550K
13.6
0.8 years
Sha Tin530K
13.3
0.8 years
North479K
14.9
1.0 years
Kwai Tsing439K
13.4
0.8 years
Yau Tsim Mong415K
14.1
0.9 years
Tuen Mun406K
15.2
1.0 years
Kwun Tong357K
14.2
0.9 years
Wan Chai328K
16.2
1.1 years
Tsuen Wan268K
13.9
0.9 years
Southern260K
15.7
1.0 years
Eastern258K
14.2
0.9 years
Wong Tai Sin257K
13.9
0.9 years
Central and Western237K
16.8
1.2 years
Sai Kung236K
13.8
0.9 years
Tai Po199K
13.1
0.8 years
Islands162K
15.1
1.0 years

Showing 18 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.