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.

United Kingdom's Scotland Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Scotland

Scotland faces significant air pollution challenges. 81% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 5.5 million across 32 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 5.8µg/m³. That's 1.2 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 96 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 Scotland met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.08 years longer.

That's 439K years of life stolen from 5.5 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 Scotland. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Glasgow
0.2 years lost
2.Clackmannanshire
0.1 years lost
3.Renfrewshire
0.1 years lost
4.Falkirk
0.1 years lost
5.East Dunbartonshire
0.1 years lost
6.Stirling
0.1 years lost
7.West Dunbartonshire
0.1 years lost
8.Edinburgh
0.1 years lost
9.East Renfrewshire
0.1 years lost
10.North Lanarkshire
0.1 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

12%

658K

5-10 µg/m³

88%

4.8M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 32 Districts in Scotland

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Glasgow	616K	6.9	0.2 years
Edinburgh	520K	6.0	0.1 years
Fife	368K	5.8	0.1 years
North Lanarkshire	346K	5.8	0.1 years
South Lanarkshire	330K	5.8	0.1 years
Aberdeenshire	269K	4.8	0.0 years
Highland	230K	4.8	0.0 years
Aberdeen	228K	5.0	0.0 years
Renfrewshire	190K	6.4	0.1 years
West Lothian	182K	5.3	0.0 years
Falkirk	162K	6.4	0.1 years
Dundee	159K	5.7	0.1 years
Perthshire and Kinross	156K	5.8	0.1 years
Dumfries and Galloway	147K	5.7	0.1 years
North Ayrshire	137K	5.6	0.1 years
East Dunbartonshire	127K	6.3	0.1 years
East Ayrshire	122K	5.4	0.0 years
Scottish Borders	119K	5.4	0.0 years
East Lothian	116K	5.8	0.1 years
South Ayrshire	111K	5.5	0.1 years
Angus	104K	5.4	0.0 years
West Dunbartonshire	97K	6.3	0.1 years
Midlothian	97K	5.5	0.0 years
Stirling	95K	6.3	0.1 years
East Renfrewshire	93K	6.0	0.1 years
Moray	91K	4.9	0.0 years
Inverclyde	77K	5.5	0.1 years
Argyll and Bute	74K	5.2	0.0 years
Clackmannanshire	53K	6.4	0.1 years
Eilean Siar	25K	3.5	0.0 years
Shetland Islands	22K	3.3	0.0 years
Orkney Islands	21K	3.5	0.0 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 Scotland is Injurious to Health.