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.

Japan's Nara Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Nara

Nara faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.3 million across 39 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 11.1µg/m³. That's 2.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 184 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 Nara met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.59 years longer.

That's 754K years of life stolen from 1.3 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 Nara. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Ōji
0.7 years lost
2.Kawai
0.7 years lost
3.Kōryō
0.7 years lost
4.Kanmaki
0.7 years lost
5.Ando
0.7 years lost
6.Sangō
0.7 years lost
7.Ikaruga
0.7 years lost
8.Kashiba
0.7 years lost
9.Kawanishi Town
0.7 years lost
10.Heguri
0.7 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%

127K

10-15 µg/m³

90%

1.2M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 39 Districts in Nara

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Nara	332K	11.1	0.6 years
Ikoma	116K	11.6	0.6 years
Kashihara	112K	11.0	0.6 years
Kashiba	84K	12.1	0.7 years
Yamatokōriyama	77K	11.8	0.7 years
Yamatotakada	60K	11.6	0.6 years
Tenri	57K	11.2	0.6 years
Sakurai	53K	10.1	0.5 years
Katsuragi	47K	11.2	0.6 years
Tawaramoto	31K	11.8	0.7 years
Sangō	31K	12.2	0.7 years
Gojō	27K	7.4	0.2 years
Ōji	27K	12.3	0.7 years
Uda	26K	7.3	0.2 years
Kōryō	25K	12.3	0.7 years
Ikaruga	24K	12.1	0.7 years
Gose	23K	9.9	0.5 years
Heguri	21K	12.0	0.7 years
Ōyodo	18K	8.0	0.3 years
Kanmaki	16K	12.2	0.7 years
Kawai	14K	12.3	0.7 years
Ando	9K	12.2	0.7 years
Kawanishi Town	8K	12.0	0.7 years
Miyake	7K	11.9	0.7 years
Takatori	6K	9.4	0.4 years
Yoshino	5K	7.3	0.2 years
Asuka	4K	9.6	0.5 years
Yamazoe	3K	7.6	0.3 years
Totsukawa	3K	5.1	0.0 years
Shimoichi	3K	7.1	0.2 years
Higashiyoshino	1K	6.4	0.1 years
Mitsue	1K	6.7	0.2 years
Soni	1K	6.7	0.2 years
Tenkawa	1K	5.4	0.0 years
Kawakami	1K	6.0	0.1 years
Shimokitayama	742	5.4	0.0 years
Kurotaki	583	6.1	0.1 years
Kamikitayama	437	5.2	0.0 years
Nosegawa	327	5.4	0.0 years

Showing 39 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Nara is Injurious to Health.