Breathing in Ninawa is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 4.1 million people across 10 districts in Ninawa. The average PM2.5 level is 21.6 µg/m³—4.3Ɨ higher than the WHO guideline.

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Air Pollution in Ninawa

Ninawa faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 4.1 million across 10 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 21.6µg/m³. That's 4.3 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 358 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 Ninawa met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.64 years longer.

That's 6.8M years of life stolen from 4.1 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.

Lives cut short. Breathing kills.

Districts with Highest Pollution

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

  • 1.Mosul
    1.8 years lost
  • 2.Al Hamdaniyah
    1.7 years lost
  • 3.Hatra
    1.6 years lost
  • 4.Tilkef
    1.6 years lost
  • 5.Al Shikhan
    1.5 years lost
  • 6.Talafar
    1.5 years lost
  • 7.Shekhan
    1.5 years lost
  • 8.Sinjar
    1.5 years lost
  • 9.Akre
    1.4 years lost
  • 10.Al Ba'aj
    1.4 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
0%
0
10-15 µg/m³
0%
0
15-25 µg/m³
100%
4.1M
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0

All 10 Districts in Ninawa

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Mosul1.4M
22.9
1.8 years
Al Hamdaniyah1.0M
22.4
1.7 years
Akre488K
19.6
1.4 years
Talafar477K
20.5
1.5 years
Sinjar363K
20.1
1.5 years
Tilkef187K
20.9
1.6 years
Al Shikhan108K
20.7
1.5 years
Al Ba'aj54K
19.1
1.4 years
Shekhan46K
20.4
1.5 years
Hatra27K
21.5
1.6 years

Showing 10 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.