Air pollution threatens the health of 7.7 million people across 4 districts in Cataluña. The average PM2.5 level is 9.7 µg/m³—1.9× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Cataluña faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 7.7 million across 4 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.7µg/m³. That's 1.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 161 cigarettes in a year.
If Cataluña met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.49 years longer.
That's 3.8M years of life stolen from 7.7 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 4 most polluted districts in Cataluña. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
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.
Complete air quality data for every district in Cataluña, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona | 5.7M | 10.7 | 0.6 years |
| Tarragona | 801K | 6.6 | 0.2 years |
| Girona | 767K | 7.5 | 0.2 years |
| Lleida | 438K | 6.4 | 0.1 years |
Showing 4 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.