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.

Philippines's Palawan Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Palawan

Palawan faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.2 million across 23 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 12.2µg/m³. That's 2.4 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 202 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 Palawan met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.72 years longer.

That's 876K years of life stolen from 1.2 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 Palawan. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Narra
0.9 years lost
2.Brooke's Point
0.8 years lost
3.Bataraza
0.8 years lost
4.Aborlan
0.8 years lost
5.Roxas
0.8 years lost
6.Puerto Princesa City
0.8 years lost
7.Sofronio Espanola
0.7 years lost
8.San Vicente
0.7 years lost
9.Dumaran
0.7 years lost
10.Rizal
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

2.2%

27K

10-15 µg/m³

97.8%

1.2M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 23 Districts in Palawan

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Puerto Princesa City	300K	12.7	0.8 years
Bataraza	91K	13.0	0.8 years
Narra	83K	13.9	0.9 years
Taytay	81K	11.6	0.6 years
Brooke's Point	77K	13.6	0.8 years
Quezon	67K	12.0	0.7 years
Roxas	62K	12.8	0.8 years
Coron	61K	10.2	0.5 years
Rizal	55K	12.2	0.7 years
El Nido	48K	10.2	0.5 years
Aborlan	42K	12.8	0.8 years
San Vicente	40K	12.3	0.7 years
Sofronio Espanola	39K	12.4	0.7 years
Balabac	38K	11.1	0.6 years
Culion	22K	10.1	0.5 years
Dumaran	21K	12.2	0.7 years
Busuanga	19K	9.7	0.5 years
Cuyo	16K	11.1	0.6 years
Araceli	14K	12.0	0.7 years
Magsaysay	14K	10.9	0.6 years
Linapacan	12K	10.3	0.5 years
Agutaya	7K	9.9	0.5 years
Cagayancillo	5K	10.5	0.5 years

Showing 23 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Palawan is Injurious to Health.