Breathing in Sulawesi Tenggara is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 2.5 million people across 12 districts in Sulawesi Tenggara. The average PM2.5 level is 10.7 µg/m³—2.1Ɨ higher than the WHO guideline.

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Air Pollution in Sulawesi Tenggara

Sulawesi Tenggara faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.5 million across 12 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.7µg/m³. That's 2.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 178 cigarettes in a year.

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Life Expectancy Impact

If Sulawesi Tenggara met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.56 years longer.

That's 1.4M years of life stolen from 2.5 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Sulawesi Tenggara. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Kolaka Utara
    1 years lost
  • 2.Konawe
    0.9 years lost
  • 3.Kolaka
    0.9 years lost
  • 4.Konawe Utara
    0.8 years lost
  • 5.Kendari
    0.5 years lost
  • 6.Konawe Selatan
    0.5 years lost
  • 7.Bombana
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Muna
    0.3 years lost
  • 9.Bau-Bau
    0.3 years lost
  • 10.Buton
    0.3 years lost

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
39.3%
980K
10-15 µg/m³
55.2%
1.4M
15-25 µg/m³
5.5%
138K
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0

All 12 Districts in Sulawesi Tenggara

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Kolaka361K
13.8
0.9 years
Kendari341K
10.5
0.5 years
Konawe Selatan313K
10.1
0.5 years
Konawe294K
14.1
0.9 years
Muna288K
8.1
0.3 years
Buton260K
8.1
0.3 years
Bombana146K
9.3
0.4 years
Bau-Bau144K
8.1
0.3 years
Kolaka Utara138K
15.1
1.0 years
Wakatobi81K
6.7
0.2 years
Konawe Utara65K
13.0
0.8 years
Buton Utara60K
7.5
0.2 years

Showing 12 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.