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.

Ukraine's Kharkiv Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Kharkiv

Kharkiv faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.6 million across 32 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 10.6µg/m³. That's 2.1 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 176 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 Kharkiv met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.54 years longer.

That's 847K years of life stolen from 1.6 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 Kharkiv. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Kharkivs'ka
0.6 years lost
2.Kharkivs'kyi
0.6 years lost
3.Iziums'ka
0.5 years lost
4.Zmiïvs'kyi
0.5 years lost
5.Iziums'kyi
0.5 years lost
6.Derhachivs'kyi
0.5 years lost
7.Barvinkivs'kyi
0.5 years lost
8.Chuhu‹vs'ka
0.5 years lost
9.Balakliis'kyi
0.5 years lost
10.Chuhu‹vs'kyi
0.5 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

22.9%

360K

10-15 µg/m³

77.1%

1.2M

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 32 Districts in Kharkiv

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Kharkivs'ka	742K	11.3	0.6 years
Kharkivs'kyi	192K	10.6	0.6 years
Derhachivs'kyi	52K	10.3	0.5 years
Balakliis'kyi	50K	10.1	0.5 years
Zmiïvs'kyi	44K	10.5	0.5 years
Chuhu‹vs'kyi	42K	10.1	0.5 years
Lozivs'kyi	35K	9.6	0.5 years
Iziums'ka	31K	10.5	0.5 years
Kupians'kyi	28K	9.5	0.4 years
Vovchans'kyi	27K	9.5	0.4 years
Pervomais'kyi	26K	9.9	0.5 years
Krasnohrads'kyi	24K	9.0	0.4 years
Iziums'kyi	23K	10.5	0.5 years
Bohodukhivs'kyi	22K	9.0	0.4 years
Valkivs'kyi	21K	9.2	0.4 years
Novovodolaz'kyi	20K	9.7	0.5 years
Lozivs'ka	20K	9.6	0.5 years
Kupians'ka	20K	9.5	0.4 years
Krasnokuts'kyi	17K	8.9	0.4 years
Barvinkivs'kyi	16K	10.2	0.5 years
Zolochivs'kyi	15K	9.4	0.4 years
Sakhnovshchyns'kyi	13K	9.3	0.4 years
Velykoburluts'kyi	13K	9.0	0.4 years
Kehychivs'kyi	12K	9.3	0.4 years
Blyzniukivs'kyi	11K	9.7	0.5 years
Borivs'kyi	11K	10.1	0.5 years
Shevchenkivs'kyi	11K	9.3	0.4 years
Dvorichans'kyi	11K	9.2	0.4 years
Zachepylivs'kyi	9K	9.1	0.4 years
Chuhu‹vs'ka	6K	10.1	0.5 years
Pecheniz'kyi	6K	9.7	0.5 years
n.a. ( 180)	54	9.8	0.5 years

Showing 32 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Kharkiv is Injurious to Health.