Air pollution threatens the health of 7.0 million people across 5 districts in Vlaanderen. The average PM2.5 level is 7.9 µg/m³—1.6× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Vlaanderen faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 7.0 million across 5 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.9µg/m³. That's 1.6 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 131 cigarettes in a year.
If Vlaanderen met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.28 years longer.
That's 1.9M years of life stolen from 7.0 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 5 most polluted districts in Vlaanderen. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Complete air quality data for every district in Vlaanderen, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Antwerpen | 1.9M | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
| Oost-Vlaanderen | 1.6M | 8.0 | 0.3 years |
| Vlaams Brabant | 1.3M | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| West-Vlaanderen | 1.2M | 8.4 | 0.3 years |
| Limburg | 919K | 7.9 | 0.3 years |
Showing 5 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.