Breathing in Nordrhein-Westfalen is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 18.1 million people across 53 districts in Nordrhein-Westfalen. The average PM2.5 level is 7.9 µg/m³—1.6× higher than the WHO guideline.

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Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Nordrhein-Westfalen

Nordrhein-Westfalen faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 18.1 million across 53 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.

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 Nordrhein-Westfalen met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.29 years longer.

That's 5.3M years of life stolen from 18.1 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 Nordrhein-Westfalen. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Duisburg
    0.4 years lost
  • 2.Essen
    0.4 years lost
  • 3.Herne
    0.4 years lost
  • 4.Gelsenkirchen
    0.4 years lost
  • 5.Bottrop
    0.4 years lost
  • 6.Mülheim an der Ruhr
    0.4 years lost
  • 7.Bochum
    0.4 years lost
  • 8.Oberhausen
    0.4 years lost
  • 9.Düsseldorf
    0.4 years lost
  • 10.Krefeld
    0.4 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
0%
0
5-10 µg/m³
100%
18.1M
10-15 µg/m³
0%
0
15-25 µg/m³
0%
0
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0
Districts

All 53 Districts in Nordrhein-Westfalen

Complete air quality data for every district in Nordrhein-Westfalen, sorted by population.

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Köln1.1M
8.1
0.3 years
Recklinghausen623K
8.7
0.4 years
Düsseldorf623K
8.9
0.4 years
Rhein-Sieg-Kreis606K
6.9
0.2 years
Dortmund595K
8.8
0.4 years
Essen587K
9.2
0.4 years
Städteregion Aachen564K
7.2
0.2 years
Duisburg503K
9.3
0.4 years
Mettmann493K
8.1
0.3 years
Rhein-Erft-Kreis475K
8.0
0.3 years
Wesel464K
8.7
0.4 years
Rhein-Kreis Neuss459K
8.7
0.4 years
Steinfurt456K
7.5
0.2 years
Märkischer Kreis413K
7.1
0.2 years
Unna396K
8.4
0.3 years
Borken379K
8.0
0.3 years
Gütersloh370K
6.9
0.2 years
Bochum368K
9.1
0.4 years
Wuppertal359K
7.4
0.2 years
Lippe350K
7.1
0.2 years
Bielefeld339K
7.3
0.2 years
Bonn338K
7.0
0.2 years
Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis326K
7.8
0.3 years
Münster322K
8.1
0.3 years
Kleve319K
8.3
0.3 years
Minden-Lübbecke315K
7.1
0.2 years
Paderborn313K
6.8
0.2 years
Soest306K
7.5
0.2 years
Viersen302K
8.1
0.3 years
Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis287K
7.1
0.2 years
Warendorf281K
7.9
0.3 years
Siegen-Wittgenstein278K
6.4
0.1 years
Oberbergischer Kreis274K
6.7
0.2 years
Düren270K
7.7
0.3 years
Mönchengladbach264K
8.2
0.3 years
Hochsauerlandkreis262K
6.7
0.2 years
Heinsberg261K
7.7
0.3 years
Gelsenkirchen259K
9.2
0.4 years
Herford253K
7.5
0.2 years
Krefeld229K
8.9
0.4 years
Coesfeld224K
8.2
0.3 years
Oberhausen213K
9.1
0.4 years
Euskirchen197K
6.8
0.2 years
Hagen191K
7.9
0.3 years
Hamm182K
8.1
0.3 years
Mülheim an der Ruhr171K
9.1
0.4 years
Leverkusen167K
7.7
0.3 years
Solingen159K
7.7
0.3 years
Herne158K
9.2
0.4 years
Höxter142K
6.6
0.2 years
Olpe135K
6.7
0.2 years
Bottrop120K
9.1
0.4 years
Remscheid113K
7.0
0.2 years

Showing 53 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.