Breathing in Plovdiv is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 671 thousand people across 16 districts in Plovdiv. The average PM2.5 level is 15.3 µg/m³—3.1Ɨ higher than the WHO guideline.

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Air Pollution in Plovdiv

Plovdiv faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 671 thousand across 16 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 15.3µg/m³. That's 3.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 254 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 Plovdiv met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.02 years longer.

That's 684K years of life stolen from 671 thousand 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 Plovdiv. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Asenovgrad
    1.5 years lost
  • 2.Parvomay
    1.4 years lost
  • 3.Sadovo
    1.3 years lost
  • 4.Rodopi
    1.2 years lost
  • 5.Brezovo
    1.2 years lost
  • 6.Perushtitsa
    1.2 years lost
  • 7.Rakovski
    1.1 years lost
  • 8.Krichim
    1.1 years lost
  • 9.Laki
    1 years lost
  • 10.Stamboliyski
    1 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
0%
0
10-15 µg/m³
68.2%
457K
15-25 µg/m³
31.8%
214K
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0

All 16 Districts in Plovdiv

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Plovdiv323K
14.0
0.9 years
Karlovo58K
14.1
0.9 years
Asenovgrad56K
20.2
1.5 years
Rodopi47K
17.1
1.2 years
Maritsa42K
14.5
0.9 years
Rakovski28K
16.0
1.1 years
Parvomay24K
19.8
1.4 years
Stamboliyski19K
15.3
1.0 years
Sadovo16K
18.0
1.3 years
Kaloyanovo12K
15.0
1.0 years
Hisar12K
14.4
0.9 years
Saedinenie11K
13.9
0.9 years
Krichim8K
15.9
1.1 years
Brezovo7K
17.0
1.2 years
Perushtitsa7K
16.8
1.2 years
Laki2K
15.3
1.0 years

Showing 16 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.