Air pollution threatens the health of 825 thousand people across 10 districts in Vaud. The average PM2.5 level is 7.3 µg/m³—1.5× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Vaud faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 825 thousand across 10 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 7.3µg/m³. That's 1.5 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 121 cigarettes in a year.
If Vaud met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.22 years longer.
That's 181K years of life stolen from 825 thousand 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 10 most polluted districts in Vaud. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
Complete air quality data for every district in Vaud, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lausanne | 126K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Jura-North Vaudois | 114K | 6.7 | 0.2 years |
| Pays-d'Enhaut | 91K | 8.2 | 0.3 years |
| Nyon | 91K | 6.5 | 0.1 years |
| Morges | 90K | 7.1 | 0.2 years |
| Ouest lausannois | 85K | 7.7 | 0.3 years |
| Broye-Vully | 62K | 6.8 | 0.2 years |
| Aigle | 60K | 8.7 | 0.4 years |
| Lavaux-Oron | 53K | 7.4 | 0.2 years |
| Gros-de-Vaud | 52K | 6.8 | 0.2 years |
Showing 10 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.