Breathing in Steiermark is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 1.3 million people across 13 districts in Steiermark. The average PM2.5 level is 9.2 µg/m³—1.8× higher than the WHO guideline.

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Air Pollution in Steiermark

Steiermark faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.3 million across 13 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.2µg/m³. That's 1.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 153 cigarettes in a year.

Air Quality Trend

Annual PM2.5 levels from 2014 to 2023. The WHO guideline for safe air is 5 µg/m³.

Life Expectancy Impact

If Steiermark met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.42 years longer.

That's 526K 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.

Districts with Highest Pollution

The top 10 most polluted districts in Steiermark. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Graz Stadt
    0.6 years lost
  • 2.Leibnitz
    0.5 years lost
  • 3.Deutschlandsberg
    0.5 years lost
  • 4.Graz-Umgebung
    0.4 years lost
  • 5.Voitsberg
    0.4 years lost
  • 6.Murau
    0.4 years lost
  • 7.Südoststeiermark
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Murtal
    0.4 years lost
  • 9.Hartberg-Fürstenfeld
    0.3 years lost
  • 10.Weiz
    0.3 years lost

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
76.7%
960K
10-15 µg/m³
23.3%
292K
15-25 µg/m³
0%
0
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0

All 13 Districts in Steiermark

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Graz Stadt292K
10.7
0.6 years
Graz-Umgebung157K
9.3
0.4 years
Bruck-Mürzzuschlag99K
7.7
0.3 years
Weiz91K
8.4
0.3 years
Hartberg-Fürstenfeld91K
8.5
0.3 years
Südoststeiermark87K
9.0
0.4 years
Leibnitz83K
9.7
0.5 years
Liezen80K
8.2
0.3 years
Murtal72K
8.7
0.4 years
Deutschlandsberg61K
9.7
0.5 years
Leoben60K
8.2
0.3 years
Voitsberg51K
9.2
0.4 years
Murau28K
9.0
0.4 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.