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.

Australia's New South Wales Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in New South Wales

New South Wales faces significant air pollution challenges. 7% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 8.2 million across 152 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 4.5µg/m³. That's 0.9 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 75 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 New South Wales met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0 years longer.

That's 0 years of life stolen from 8.2 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 New South Wales. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Botany Bay
0 years lost
2.Newcastle
0 years lost
3.Auburn
0 years lost
4.Liverpool
0 years lost
5.Marrickville
0 years lost
6.Canada Bay
0 years lost
7.Sydney
0 years lost
8.Blacktown
0 years lost
9.Woollahra
0 years lost
10.Bankstown
0 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

77.4%

6.4M

5-10 µg/m³

22.6%

1.9M

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 152 Districts in New South Wales

Complete air quality data for every district in New South Wales, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³
Blacktown	414K	5.0
Liverpool	244K	5.1
Sutherland	240K	4.6
Parramatta	235K	4.8
The Hills	233K	4.5
Bankstown	230K	5.0
Penrith	227K	4.7
Wollongong	219K	4.5
Fairfield	217K	5.0
Sydney	213K	5.1
Lake Macquarie	209K	4.8
Campbelltown	184K	4.5
Gosford	184K	4.4
Hornsby	182K	4.1
Newcastle	173K	5.1
Wyong	164K	4.4
Warringah	157K	4.3
Canterbury	156K	4.8
Randwick	135K	4.9
Ryde	133K	4.4
Ku-ring-gai	129K	3.9
Holroyd	125K	5.0
Camden	124K	4.5
Rockdale	122K	4.9
Shoalhaven	111K	4.1
Tweed	97K	3.3
Auburn	96K	5.1
Maitland	94K	4.5
Port Macquarie-Hastings	89K	4.4
Marrickville	89K	5.1
Hurstville	86K	4.8
Blue Mountains	81K	4.3
Coffs Harbour	81K	4.2
Willoughby	79K	4.5
Port Stephens	76K	4.8
Shellharbour	76K	4.2
Canada Bay	73K	5.1
Wagga Wagga	71K	4.2
Hawkesbury	70K	4.2
Waverley	70K	4.9
North Sydney	68K	4.8
Kogarah	67K	4.8
Cessnock	66K	4.5
Tamworth Regional	66K	4.1
Pittwater	59K	4.3
Albury	59K	4.2
Leichhardt	56K	4.9
Wollondilly	56K	3.9
Clarence Valley	56K	3.9
Botany Bay	56K	5.4
Wingecarribee	55K	3.9
Greater Taree	52K	4.0
Woollahra	52K	5.0
Strathfield	48K	4.9
Dubbo	47K	3.7
Lismore	46K	3.0
Bathurst	45K	4.4
Orange	45K	4.4
Queanbeyan	45K	4.3
Manly	45K	4.8
Ballina	44K	3.2
Burwood	42K	4.7
Ashfield	40K	4.7
Eurobodalla	39K	4.6
Byron	37K	3.0
Bega Valley	37K	4.1
Lane Cove	36K	4.6
Goulburn Mulwaree	33K	4.1
Kempsey	32K	4.0
Mosman	28K	4.8
Griffith	28K	2.6
Armidale Dumaresq	28K	4.3
Mid-Western Regional	27K	4.5
Singleton	26K	4.5
Richmond Valley	24K	3.2
Kiama	24K	4.0
Lithgow	22K	4.5
Nambucca	21K	4.1
Palerang	21K	4.0
Broken Hill	18K	1.9
Yass Valley	18K	4.0
Inverell	17K	3.8
Muswellbrook	17K	4.8
Parkes	15K	3.4
Upper Hunter	15K	4.4
Cabonne	14K	3.8
Young	14K	3.8
Bellingen	14K	4.0
Gunnedah	13K	4.2
Moree Plains	13K	4.2
Cowra	13K	3.7
Narrabri	13K	4.0
Tumut	13K	4.3
Corowa	12K	3.5
Snowy River	12K	3.8
Leeton	12K	2.9
Hunters Hill	12K	4.6
Greater Hume	12K	4.0
Wellington	10K	3.9
Dungog	10K	4.0
Kyogle	10K	3.5
Forbes	10K	3.6
Warrumbungle	10K	3.8
Glen Innes Severn	9K	4.0
Murray	9K	2.4
Berrigan	9K	2.8
Upper Lachlan	9K	3.9
Cooma-Monaro	9K	3.3
Liverpool Plains	8K	4.4
Blayney	8K	4.1
Wentworth	8K	2.0
Cootamundra	7K	3.8
Tenterfield	7K	3.9
Junee	7K	3.7
Deniliquin	7K	2.5
Narromine	7K	3.5
Temora	6K	3.4
Lachlan	6K	2.9
Uralla	6K	4.2
Narrandera	6K	3.1
Oberon	6K	4.3
Bland	6K	3.0
Walgett	5K	3.7
Gloucester	5K	3.7
Gwydir	5K	3.6
Coolamon	5K	3.4
Gilgandra	4K	3.4
Gundagai	4K	3.9
Wakool	4K	2.1
Cobar	4K	2.3
Guyra	4K	4.0
Coonamble	4K	3.6
Weddin	4K	3.5
Harden	4K	3.9
Lockhart	3K	3.6
Walcha	3K	4.3
Hay	3K	2.4
Carrathool	3K	2.4
Tumbarumba	3K	4.2
Warren	3K	3.4
Bogan	3K	2.7
Boorowa	3K	3.8
Bourke	2K	2.6
Balranald	2K	2.0
Conargo	2K	2.4
Bombala	2K	3.1
Central Darling	2K	2.3
Murrumbidgee	2K	2.7
Jerilderie	2K	2.9
Brewarrina	1K	3.3
Urana	1K	3.4
Unincorporated New South Wales	1K	1.6

Showing 152 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in New South Wales is Injurious to Health.