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.

India's Assam Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Assam

Assam faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 35.9 million across 27 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 28.4µg/m³. That's 5.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 471 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 Assam met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.29 years longer.

That's 82.2M years of life stolen from 35.9 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 Assam. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Kamrup Metropolitan
3.9 years lost
2.Kamrup
3.2 years lost
3.Karimganj
2.9 years lost
4.Goalpara
2.9 years lost
5.Morigaon
2.8 years lost
6.Dhubri
2.8 years lost
7.Hailakandi
2.8 years lost
8.Cachar
2.8 years lost
9.Barpeta
2.5 years lost
10.Kokrajhar
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

31.8%

11.4M

25-35 µg/m³

59.3%

21.3M

> 35 µg/m³

8.9%

3.2M

Districts

All 27 Districts in Assam

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Nagaon	3.2M	28.0	2.3 years
Sonitpur	2.3M	21.8	1.6 years
Dhubri	2.2M	33.7	2.8 years
Cachar	2.0M	33.1	2.8 years
Barpeta	1.9M	30.9	2.5 years
Kamrup	1.9M	37.6	3.2 years
Dibrugarh	1.5M	19.0	1.4 years
Tinsukia	1.5M	17.5	1.2 years
Karimganj	1.4M	35.0	2.9 years
Sivasagar	1.4M	22.3	1.7 years
Lakhimpur	1.3M	19.7	1.4 years
Kamrup Metropolitan	1.3M	44.9	3.9 years
Jorhat	1.3M	23.7	1.8 years
Golaghat	1.2M	24.5	1.9 years
Kokrajhar	1.2M	30.2	2.5 years
Goalpara	1.1M	34.7	2.9 years
Karbi Anglong	1.1M	25.3	2.0 years
Morigaon	1.1M	33.9	2.8 years
Baksa	1.1M	27.2	2.2 years
Darrang	1.1M	28.2	2.3 years
Nalbari	937K	28.9	2.3 years
Udalguri	906K	27.6	2.2 years
Bongaigaon	890K	25.9	2.1 years
Hailakandi	762K	33.2	2.8 years
Dhemaji	710K	17.5	1.2 years
Chirang	376K	26.4	2.1 years
Dima Hasao	247K	23.4	1.8 years

Showing 27 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Assam is Injurious to Health.