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 Gujarat Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Gujarat

Gujarat faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 70.5 million across 33 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 29.5µg/m³. That's 5.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 489 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 Gujarat met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.39 years longer.

That's 168.5M years of life stolen from 70.5 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 Gujarat. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ahmadabad
3.1 years lost
2.Surat
2.9 years lost
3.Vadodara
2.8 years lost
4.Valsad
2.6 years lost
5.Bharuch
2.5 years lost
6.Navsari
2.5 years lost
7.Tapi
2.5 years lost
8.Gandhinagar
2.5 years lost
9.Kheda
2.5 years lost
10.Anand
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

15.5%

10.9M

25-35 µg/m³

72.5%

51.1M

> 35 µg/m³

12%

8.5M

Districts

All 33 Districts in Gujarat

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Ahmadabad	8.5M	36.3	3.1 years
Surat	7.1M	35.0	2.9 years
Vadodara	4.1M	33.1	2.8 years
Banaskantha	3.6M	26.7	2.1 years
Rajkot	3.6M	25.8	2.0 years
Bhavnagar	2.7M	27.5	2.2 years
Kheda	2.7M	30.6	2.5 years
Junagadh	2.5M	21.7	1.6 years
Kachchh	2.4M	22.6	1.7 years
Anand	2.4M	30.4	2.5 years
Dahod	2.4M	28.5	2.3 years
Mahesana	2.4M	28.0	2.3 years
Valsad	2.0M	31.3	2.6 years
Bharuch	1.8M	30.9	2.5 years
Patan	1.8M	27.4	2.2 years
Jamnagar	1.8M	24.8	1.9 years
Surendranagar	1.7M	25.8	2.0 years
Panch Mahals	1.6M	29.5	2.4 years
Navsari	1.5M	30.7	2.5 years
Sabar Kantha	1.5M	27.9	2.2 years
Gandhinagar	1.4M	30.6	2.5 years
Aravalli	1.3M	27.6	2.2 years
Mahisagar	1.3M	28.9	2.3 years
Amreli	1.3M	23.5	1.8 years
Morbi	1.2M	26.6	2.1 years
Gir Somnath	1.2M	21.2	1.6 years
Tapi	941K	30.6	2.5 years
Chhota Udaipur	866K	30.2	2.5 years
Devbhumi Dwarka	801K	22.2	1.7 years
Porbandar	690K	22.8	1.7 years
Narmada	583K	29.4	2.4 years
Botad	541K	26.1	2.1 years
Dang	254K	23.7	1.8 years

Showing 33 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Gujarat is Injurious to Health.