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.

Nepal's Bagmati Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Bagmati

Bagmati faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 6.4 million across 13 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 32.7µg/m³. That's 6.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 543 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 Bagmati met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 2.72 years longer.

That's 17.4M years of life stolen from 6.4 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 Bagmati. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Chitawan
3.7 years lost
2.Sindhuli
3 years lost
3.Makawanpur
2.9 years lost
4.Kathmandu
2.6 years lost
5.Nuwakot
2.6 years lost
6.Dhading
2.6 years lost
7.Sindhupalchok
2.6 years lost
8.Bhaktapur
2.5 years lost
9.Dolakha
2.5 years lost
10.Ramechhap
2.5 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

84.1%

5.4M

> 35 µg/m³

15.9%

1.0M

Districts

All 13 Districts in Bagmati

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Kathmandu	2.0M	31.8	2.6 years
Chitawan	672K	42.8	3.7 years
Lalitpur	525K	29.3	2.4 years
Makawanpur	488K	34.1	2.9 years
Kabhrepalanchok	441K	29.2	2.4 years
Dhading	394K	31.2	2.6 years
Bhaktapur	368K	30.9	2.5 years
Sindhuli	345K	35.9	3.0 years
Sindhupalchok	337K	31.1	2.6 years
Nuwakot	325K	31.6	2.6 years
Ramechhap	238K	30.1	2.5 years
Dolakha	218K	30.3	2.5 years
Rasuwa	49K	29.6	2.4 years

Showing 13 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Bagmati is Injurious to Health.