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 Punjab Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Punjab

Punjab faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 31.1 million across 22 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 49.6µg/m³. That's 9.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 823 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 Punjab met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 4.38 years longer.

That's 136.1M years of life stolen from 31.1 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 Punjab. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ludhiana
5.3 years lost
2.Tarn Taran
5 years lost
3.Amritsar
4.8 years lost
4.Kapurthala
4.8 years lost
5.Jalandhar
4.8 years lost
6.Firozpur
4.6 years lost
7.Moga
4.4 years lost
8.Fatehgarh Sahib
4.4 years lost
9.Faridkot
4.3 years lost
10.Sangrur
4.3 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

25-35 µg/m³

1.8%

573K

> 35 µg/m³

98.2%

30.5M

Districts

All 22 Districts in Punjab

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Ludhiana	3.9M	59.3	5.3 years
Amritsar	2.8M	53.6	4.8 years
Jalandhar	2.5M	53.5	4.8 years
Patiala	2.1M	46.5	4.1 years
Gurdaspur	2.0M	47.2	4.1 years
Sangrur	1.8M	48.8	4.3 years
Hoshiarpur	1.8M	39.9	3.4 years
Bathinda	1.6M	47.0	4.1 years
Tarn Taran	1.2M	55.7	5.0 years
Firozpur	1.2M	52.0	4.6 years
Moga	1.1M	49.8	4.4 years
Fazilka	1.1M	45.6	4.0 years
Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar	1.1M	46.3	4.0 years
Sri Muktsar Sahib	987K	47.0	4.1 years
Kapurthala	903K	53.6	4.8 years
Mansa	883K	47.2	4.1 years
Rupnagar	783K	39.0	3.3 years
Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar	708K	44.1	3.8 years
Faridkot	690K	48.9	4.3 years
Fatehgarh Sahib	680K	49.6	4.4 years
Barnala	665K	47.5	4.2 years
Pathankot	573K	32.8	2.7 years

Showing 22 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Punjab is Injurious to Health.