Breathing in Fukushima is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 1.8 million people across 60 districts in Fukushima. The average PM2.5 level is 7.9 µg/m³—1.6× higher than the WHO guideline.

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Overview

Air Pollution in Fukushima

Fukushima faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.8 million across 60 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.9µg/m³. That's 1.6 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 131 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 Fukushima met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.28 years longer.

That's 502K years of life stolen from 1.8 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 Fukushima. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Yugawa
    0.5 years lost
  • 2.Aizubange
    0.5 years lost
  • 3.Aizuwakamatsu
    0.4 years lost
  • 4.Kitakata
    0.4 years lost
  • 5.Aizumisato
    0.4 years lost
  • 6.Bandai
    0.4 years lost
  • 7.Kōri
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Kōriyama
    0.4 years lost
  • 9.Fukushima
    0.3 years lost
  • 10.Kunimi
    0.3 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
0%
0
5-10 µg/m³
100%
1.8M
10-15 µg/m³
0%
0
15-25 µg/m³
0%
0
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0
Districts

All 60 Districts in Fukushima

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Kōriyama323K
8.6
0.4 years
Iwaki323K
6.5
0.1 years
Fukushima267K
8.5
0.3 years
Aizuwakamatsu113K
9.4
0.4 years
Sukagawa73K
8.2
0.3 years
Date61K
8.3
0.3 years
Minamisōma57K
7.7
0.3 years
Shirakawa55K
7.5
0.2 years
Nihonmatsu52K
7.7
0.3 years
Kitakata46K
9.1
0.4 years
Sōma33K
7.9
0.3 years
Tamura33K
6.7
0.2 years
Motomiya27K
8.2
0.3 years
Nishigou24K
7.4
0.2 years
Yabuki17K
8.0
0.3 years
Aizumisato16K
9.1
0.4 years
Aizubange16K
9.6
0.5 years
Miharu16K
7.2
0.2 years
Ishikawa14K
7.0
0.2 years
Minamiaizu14K
6.8
0.2 years
Inawashiro14K
7.2
0.2 years
Kagamiishi13K
8.2
0.3 years
Kawamata12K
7.2
0.2 years
Tanagura12K
7.0
0.2 years
Ōtama11K
8.1
0.3 years
Kunimi10K
8.4
0.3 years
Kōri10K
8.6
0.4 years
Hanawa10K
6.6
0.2 years
Ono10K
6.4
0.1 years
Iino7K
7.5
0.2 years
Shinchi7K
7.8
0.3 years
Asakawa7K
7.1
0.2 years
Tamakawa6K
7.3
0.2 years
Izumizaki6K
7.8
0.3 years
Nishiaizu6K
7.8
0.3 years
Hirata6K
6.5
0.1 years
Hirono5K
6.1
0.1 years
Shimogō5K
6.8
0.2 years
Furudono5K
6.4
0.1 years
Bandai5K
8.7
0.4 years
Ten'ei4K
7.6
0.3 years
Tadami4K
7.0
0.2 years
Nakajima4K
7.7
0.3 years
Naraha4K
6.5
0.1 years
Yamatsuri3K
6.3
0.1 years
Yanaizu3K
7.9
0.3 years
Samegawa3K
6.4
0.1 years
Yugawa3K
9.8
0.5 years
Tomioka2K
6.4
0.1 years
Kawauchi2K
6.1
0.1 years
Kaneyama2K
7.0
0.2 years
Namie2K
6.7
0.2 years
Kitashiobara2K
7.8
0.3 years
Iitate1K
7.1
0.2 years
Mishima1K
7.5
0.2 years
Shōwa1K
6.8
0.2 years
Ōkuma813
6.5
0.1 years
Hinoemata481
7.0
0.2 years
Katsurao453
6.7
0.2 years
Futaba6
6.5
0.1 years

Showing 60 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.