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.

Croatia's Primorsko-Goranska Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Primorsko-Goranska

Primorsko-Goranska faces significant air pollution challenges. 98% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 366 thousand across 42 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.3µg/m³. That's 2.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 171 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 Primorsko-Goranska met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.54 years longer.

That's 198K years of life stolen from 366 thousand 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 Primorsko-Goranska. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Lopar
0.7 years lost
2.Baška
0.7 years lost
3.Omišalj
0.6 years lost
4.Lopar/Supetarska Draga
0.6 years lost
5.Kostrena
0.6 years lost
6.Vele Srakane
0.6 years lost
7.Kraljevica
0.6 years lost
8.Njivice
0.6 years lost
9.Punat
0.6 years lost
10.Rijeka
0.6 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

38.3%

140K

10-15 µg/m³

61.7%

226K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 42 Districts in Primorsko-Goranska

Complete air quality data for every district in Primorsko-Goranska, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Rijeka	114K	10.8	0.6 years
Delnice	63K	9.8	0.5 years
Skrad	29K	9.9	0.5 years
Viškovo	19K	9.9	0.5 years
Kastav	11K	10.1	0.5 years
Matulji	10K	9.8	0.5 years
Crikvenica	10K	10.6	0.5 years
Opatija/Veprinac	9K	10.3	0.5 years
Lopar/Supetarska Draga	8K	11.2	0.6 years
Čavle	8K	10.1	0.5 years
Bakar	7K	10.5	0.5 years
Krk	7K	10.3	0.5 years
Brod Moravice	7K	9.8	0.5 years
Mali Lošinj	6K	10.0	0.5 years
Jelenje	6K	10.1	0.5 years
Lovran	5K	10.5	0.5 years
Vrbovsko	4K	9.7	0.5 years
Kraljevica	4K	10.9	0.6 years
Novi Vinodolski	4K	10.2	0.5 years
Malinska-Dubašnica	4K	10.7	0.6 years
Vinodolska	3K	10.3	0.5 years
Čabar	3K	10.4	0.5 years
Kostrena	3K	11.2	0.6 years
Cres	3K	10.4	0.5 years
Dobrinj	2K	10.6	0.5 years
Klana	2K	9.8	0.5 years
Ravna Gora	2K	10.5	0.5 years
Omišalj	2K	11.3	0.6 years
Baška	2K	11.7	0.7 years
Punat	2K	10.8	0.6 years
Fužine	1K	10.1	0.5 years
Mošćenička Draga	1K	10.4	0.5 years
Vrbnik	1K	10.7	0.6 years
Mrkopalj	1K	10.4	0.5 years
Lokve	937	10.2	0.5 years
Susak	915	10.0	0.5 years
Njivice	456	10.9	0.6 years
Unije	149	9.3	0.4 years
Ilovik	101	10.1	0.5 years
Lopar	92	11.8	0.7 years
Vele Srakane	49	10.9	0.6 years
Male Srakane	0	0.0	0.0 years

Showing 42 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Primorsko-Goranska is Injurious to Health.