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.

China's Hubei Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Hubei

Hubei faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 60.7 million across 17 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 31µg/m³. That's 6.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 514 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 Hubei met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.55 years longer.

That's 154.8M years of life stolen from 60.7 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 Hubei. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Wuhan
3.1 years lost
2.Qianjiang
3 years lost
3.Jingzhou
2.9 years lost
4.Jingmen
2.9 years lost
5.Xiantao
2.9 years lost
6.Ezhou
2.9 years lost
7.Xiangyang
2.8 years lost
8.Tianmen
2.8 years lost
9.Yichang
2.6 years lost
10.Xiaogan
2.6 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

0.1%

80K

15-25 µg/m³

15.9%

9.6M

25-35 µg/m³

65.4%

39.7M

> 35 µg/m³

18.6%

11.3M

Districts

All 17 Districts in Hubei

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Wuhan	10.3M	37.0	3.1 years
Huanggang	6.2M	26.2	2.1 years
Jingzhou	6.0M	35.0	2.9 years
Xiangyang	5.8M	33.9	2.8 years
Xiaogan	5.1M	31.1	2.6 years
Yichang	4.3M	31.3	2.6 years
Shiyan	3.5M	21.9	1.7 years
Enshi Tujia and Miao	3.5M	19.3	1.4 years
Jingmen	3.0M	34.6	2.9 years
Xianning	2.6M	23.6	1.8 years
Huangshi	2.6M	31.1	2.6 years
Suizhou Shi	2.3M	27.0	2.2 years
Ezhou	1.5M	34.1	2.9 years
Tianmen	1.5M	33.8	2.8 years
Xiantao	1.3M	34.1	2.9 years
Qianjiang	1.0M	35.3	3.0 years
Shennongjia	80K	11.8	0.7 years

Showing 17 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Hubei is Injurious to Health.