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 Western Australia Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Western Australia

Western Australia faces significant air pollution challenges. 1% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.7 million across 140 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 3.8µg/m³. That's 0.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 63 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 Western Australia met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0 years longer.

That's 0 years of life stolen from 2.7 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 Western Australia. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Broome
0 years lost
2.East Fremantle
0 years lost
3.Perth
0 years lost
4.Belmont
0 years lost
5.Mosman Park
0 years lost
6.Wyndham-East Kimberley
0 years lost
7.Subiaco
0 years lost
8.Cambridge
0 years lost
9.Vincent
0 years lost
10.Fremantle
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

99.4%

2.7M

5-10 µg/m³

0.6%

17K

10-15 µg/m³

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 140 Districts in Western Australia

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³
Stirling	234K	4.0
Wanneroo	217K	3.9
Joondalup	168K	4.0
Swan	165K	3.7
Rockingham	141K	3.8
Gosnells	132K	3.9
Cockburn	122K	4.1
Melville	105K	4.1
Armadale	98K	3.7
Canning	98K	4.2
Mandurah	89K	4.1
Bayswater	66K	4.1
Kalamunda	61K	3.7
Kwinana	48K	3.6
Belmont	44K	4.5
South Perth	43K	4.0
Mundaring	41K	3.2
Busselton	40K	4.0
Albany	39K	3.0
Geraldton-Greenough	39K	3.0
Victoria Park	38K	4.3
Vincent	38K	4.3
Bunbury	34K	4.2
Serpentine-Jarrahdale	34K	3.4
Fremantle	33K	4.3
Kalgoorlie/Boulder	31K	1.5
Cambridge	30K	4.3
Harvey	30K	3.9
Perth	26K	4.5
Roebourne	23K	1.6
Nedlands	22K	4.0
Murray	19K	3.5
Capel	19K	4.0
Subiaco	18K	4.4
Broome	17K	5.2
Port Hedland	16K	2.8
Augusta-Margaret River	16K	3.8
Bassendean	16K	4.1
Dardanup	15K	4.0
Esperance	14K	2.2
Northam	12K	3.0
Claremont	12K	4.3
East Pilbara	10K	1.5
Mosman Park	10K	4.4
Manjimup	9K	3.7
Collie	9K	4.1
Cottesloe	8K	3.7
East Fremantle	8K	4.5
Wyndham-East Kimberley	8K	4.4
Ashburton	8K	1.6
Derby-West Kimberley	7K	4.0
Donnybrook-Balingup	6K	4.0
Denmark	6K	3.0
Chittering	6K	2.8
Plantagenet	6K	2.8
Bridgetown-Greenbushes	5K	3.5
Carnarvon	5K	1.9
Gingin	5K	3.1
Toodyay	5K	2.8
Waroona	4K	3.7
Katanning	4K	3.3
Narrogin (Town)	4K	3.2
Halls Creek	4K	3.3
Coolgardie	4K	1.7
York	4K	3.1
Irwin	4K	3.1
Northampton	3K	2.3
Dandaragan	3K	3.6
Merredin	3K	2.8
Exmouth	3K	2.1
Moora	2K	2.7
Ravensthorpe	2K	2.6
Kojonup	2K	3.5
Boyup Brook	2K	3.5
Wagin	2K	3.3
Boddington	2K	3.4
Beverley	2K	3.3
Peppermint Grove	2K	4.3
Leonora	2K	1.3
Chapman Valley	2K	2.5
Nannup	2K	3.9
Dalwallinu	1K	2.8
Ngaanyatjarraku	1K	1.3
Laverton	1K	1.0
Cunderdin	1K	3.5
Wongan-Ballidu	1K	3.0
Lake Grace	1K	3.4
Gnowangerup	1K	3.2
Meekatharra	1K	1.4
Yilgarn	1K	2.1
Jerramungup	1K	2.9
Kellerberrin	1K	3.3
Cranbrook	1K	3.1
Broomehill-Tambellup	1K	3.2
Pingelly	1K	3.3
Williams	1K	3.4
Corrigin	1K	3.3
Narrogin (Shire)	1K	3.3
Bruce Rock	1K	3.0
Quairading	1K	3.2
Goomalling	996	3.1
Brookton	969	3.3
Coorow	958	3.4
Cuballing	940	3.4
Shark Bay	927	2.7
Kondinin	883	2.9
Victoria Plains	836	3.1
Narembeen	822	2.9
West Arthur	807	3.6
Kulin	802	3.1
Dowerin	746	3.4
Mullewa	724	2.2
Wickepin	720	3.4
Dumbleyung	711	3.3
Dundas	707	1.5
Morawa	688	2.6
Mount Magnet	681	1.6
Perenjori	656	2.4
Mukinbudin	605	2.6
Three Springs	600	2.8
Carnamah	576	2.3
Wandering	558	3.3
Wiluna	558	1.2
Menzies	547	1.0
Kent	512	3.5
Wyalkatchem	490	2.9
Mount Marshall	479	2.6
Woodanilling	468	3.4
Mingenew	424	3.0
Tammin	403	3.4
Koorda	377	2.7
Yalgoo	354	1.7
Trayning	311	2.8
Nungarin	265	2.6
Westonia	259	2.4
Cue	224	1.6
Upper Gascoyne	177	1.4
Sandstone	114	1.2
Murchison	105	1.4
Scott and Seringapatam Reefs	0	0.0

Showing 140 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Western Australia is Injurious to Health.