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 Pampanga Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Pampanga

Pampanga faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 3.3 million across 22 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 16.5µg/m³. That's 3.3 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 274 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 Pampanga met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.12 years longer.

That's 3.7M years of life stolen from 3.3 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 Pampanga. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Apalit
1.5 years lost
2.Santo Tomas
1.4 years lost
3.Minalin
1.4 years lost
4.Macabebe
1.4 years lost
5.San Simon
1.4 years lost
6.San Luis
1.4 years lost
7.Santa Ana
1.3 years lost
8.Candaba
1.3 years lost
9.Arayat
1.3 years lost
10.Bacolor
1.3 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

5-10 µg/m³

10-15 µg/m³

38.4%

1.3M

15-25 µg/m³

61.6%

2.0M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 22 Districts in Pampanga

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Mabalacat	547K	14.4	0.9 years
Angeles City	312K	14.4	0.9 years
San Fernando City	261K	17.4	1.2 years
Porac	233K	14.6	0.9 years
Bacolor	229K	17.8	1.3 years
Candaba	198K	18.1	1.3 years
Floridablanca	176K	14.6	0.9 years
Lubao	168K	15.7	1.0 years
Mexico	161K	17.3	1.2 years
Guagua	145K	17.4	1.2 years
Arayat	127K	18.0	1.3 years
Apalit	116K	19.9	1.5 years
Macabebe	111K	19.3	1.4 years
Magalang	110K	16.1	1.1 years
Santa Ana	79K	18.7	1.3 years
Minalin	69K	19.6	1.4 years
San Simon	56K	19.1	1.4 years
San Luis	55K	18.9	1.4 years
Masantol	49K	16.1	1.1 years
Santa Rita	45K	16.8	1.2 years
Santo Tomas	33K	19.6	1.4 years
Sasmuan	18K	16.6	1.1 years

Showing 22 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Pampanga is Injurious to Health.