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 Victoria Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Victoria

Victoria faces significant air pollution challenges. 0% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 6.8 million across 80 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 3µg/m³. That's 0.6 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 50 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 Victoria met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0 years longer.

That's 0 years of life stolen from 6.8 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 Victoria. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Wodonga
0 years lost
2.Towong
0 years lost
3.Kingston
0 years lost
4.Maribyrnong
0 years lost
5.Unincorporated Victoria
0 years lost
6.Melbourne
0 years lost
7.Port Phillip
0 years lost
8.Yarra
0 years lost
9.Hobsons Bay
0 years lost
10.Alpine
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

100%

6.8M

5-10 µg/m³

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 80 Districts in Victoria

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³
Casey	381K	3.4
Wyndham	305K	3.4
Greater Geelong	279K	2.8
Hume	254K	2.7
Whittlesea	239K	2.8
Brimbank	203K	3.2
Monash	197K	3.2
Melton	187K	2.7
Moreland	179K	3.3
Whitehorse	177K	3.1
Boroondara	175K	3.3
Mornington Peninsula	173K	2.9
Knox	166K	3.0
Greater Dandenong	165K	3.6
Yarra Ranges	163K	2.4
Kingston	162K	3.8
Melbourne	156K	3.7
Glen Eira	155K	3.4
Darebin	155K	3.4
Frankston	144K	3.3
Banyule	132K	3.2
Manningham	130K	3.0
Moonee Valley	127K	3.4
Greater Bendigo	127K	1.8
Cardinia	123K	2.8
Maroondah	120K	2.8
Ballarat	119K	2.1
Stonnington	111K	3.4
Bayside	103K	3.6
Port Phillip	102K	3.7
Hobsons Bay	94K	3.7
Yarra	94K	3.7
Maribyrnong	89K	3.7
Latrobe	81K	3.2
Greater Shepparton	71K	2.6
Nillumbik	66K	2.7
Baw Baw	60K	2.5
Mildura	59K	2.0
Macedon Ranges	54K	2.1
Mitchell	52K	2.0
East Gippsland	51K	3.5
Wellington	47K	3.2
Wodonga	45K	4.0
Bass Coast	42K	2.8
Campaspe	40K	2.3
Moorabool	39K	2.2
Surf Coast	39K	2.3
Warrnambool	37K	1.5
Moira	32K	3.0
South Gippsland	32K	2.5
Wangaratta	31K	3.1
Golden Plains	26K	2.0
Colac-Otway	23K	1.9
Swan Hill	22K	2.0
Horsham	21K	1.9
Mount Alexander	21K	1.8
Glenelg	21K	1.6
Indigo	18K	3.5
Moyne	18K	1.4
Hepburn	17K	2.1
Southern Grampians	17K	1.4
Corangamite	17K	1.5
Murrindindi	16K	2.3
Benalla	15K	2.6
Central Goldfields	14K	1.6
Alpine	14K	3.6
Northern Grampians	12K	1.6
Ararat	12K	1.7
Strathbogie	12K	2.1
Gannawarra	11K	2.1
Mansfield	11K	2.6
Loddon	8K	1.8
Pyrenees	8K	1.7
Yarriambiack	7K	2.0
Towong	6K	4.0
Buloke	6K	1.9
Hindmarsh	6K	1.9
West Wimmera	4K	1.7
Queenscliffe	3K	2.8
Unincorporated Victoria	958	3.7

Showing 80 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Victoria is Injurious to Health.