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.

Brazil's Rio de Janeiro Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 17.4 million across 92 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 13.4µg/m³. That's 2.7 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 222 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 Rio de Janeiro met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.8 years longer.

That's 13.9M years of life stolen from 17.4 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 Rio de Janeiro. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.Duque de Caxias
1.1 years lost
2.Belford Roxo
1.1 years lost
3.São João de Meriti
1.1 years lost
4.Magé
1.1 years lost
5.Guapimirim
1 years lost
6.Nova Iguaçu
1 years lost
7.Mesquita
1 years lost
8.Teresópolis
1 years lost
9.Itatiaia
1 years lost
10.Nilópolis
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

5-10 µg/m³

7.7%

1.3M

10-15 µg/m³

73.4%

12.7M

15-25 µg/m³

19%

3.3M

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 92 Districts in Rio de Janeiro

Complete air quality data for every district in Rio de Janeiro, sorted by population.

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Rio de Janeiro	6.9M	13.6	0.8 years
São Gonçalo	976K	13.2	0.8 years
Nova Iguaçu	862K	15.6	1.0 years
Duque de Caxias	824K	16.7	1.1 years
Niterói	541K	11.5	0.6 years
Campos dos Goytacazes	500K	8.4	0.3 years
Belford Roxo	470K	16.2	1.1 years
São João de Meriti	415K	16.0	1.1 years
Petrópolis	321K	14.8	1.0 years
Volta Redonda	285K	13.7	0.9 years
Macaé	275K	10.3	0.5 years
Magé	261K	15.9	1.1 years
Itaboraí	243K	13.7	0.9 years
Maricá	232K	11.7	0.7 years
Cabo Frio	224K	8.8	0.4 years
Nova Friburgo	215K	13.3	0.8 years
Teresópolis	199K	15.1	1.0 years
Angra dos Reis	180K	14.2	0.9 years
Mesquita	178K	15.4	1.0 years
Barra Mansa	175K	14.3	0.9 years
Nilópolis	158K	15.0	1.0 years
Rio das Ostras	153K	10.6	0.5 years
Queimados	147K	14.4	0.9 years
Itaguaí	139K	13.7	0.8 years
Resende	135K	14.4	0.9 years
Araruama	133K	9.3	0.4 years
São Pedro da Aldeia	108K	7.3	0.2 years
Itaperuna	105K	10.8	0.6 years
Japeri	102K	14.2	0.9 years
Barra do Piraí	96K	12.9	0.8 years
Saquarema	92K	11.2	0.6 years
Seropédica	90K	14.4	0.9 years
Três Rios	81K	13.3	0.8 years
Valença	76K	12.7	0.8 years
Rio Bonito	58K	11.1	0.6 years
Cachoeiras de Macacu	57K	12.9	0.8 years
Guapimirim	53K	15.6	1.0 years
Paraty	52K	14.2	0.9 years
Casimiro de Abreu	47K	10.6	0.5 years
São Francisco de Itabapoana	45K	7.2	0.2 years
Paraíba do Sul	44K	13.0	0.8 years
Paracambi	43K	13.8	0.9 years
Santo Antônio de Pádua	43K	12.0	0.7 years
São Fidélis	41K	9.7	0.5 years
Vassouras	40K	13.0	0.8 years
Mangaratiba	39K	13.5	0.8 years
São João da Barra	38K	7.3	0.2 years
Bom Jesus do Itabapoana	38K	9.3	0.4 years
Armação dos Búzios	37K	8.8	0.4 years
Tanguá	33K	12.2	0.7 years
Itatiaia	32K	15.1	1.0 years
Paty do Alferes	31K	12.8	0.8 years
Arraial do Cabo	30K	9.7	0.5 years
Bom Jardim	30K	12.3	0.7 years
Piraí	29K	13.3	0.8 years
Iguaba Grande	29K	8.5	0.3 years
Miracema	28K	11.5	0.6 years
Miguel Pereira	28K	12.7	0.8 years
Pinheiral	26K	13.6	0.8 years
Itaocara	24K	11.5	0.6 years
São José do Vale do Rio Preto	23K	12.5	0.7 years
Quissamã	23K	7.9	0.3 years
Silva Jardim	23K	10.9	0.6 years
Cordeiro	22K	11.2	0.6 years
Conceição de Macabu	22K	9.1	0.4 years
Porto Real	21K	13.5	0.8 years
Cantagalo	20K	10.5	0.5 years
Sapucaia	20K	12.0	0.7 years
Rio Claro	20K	12.9	0.8 years
Sumidouro	19K	11.9	0.7 years
Mendes	18K	13.1	0.8 years
Carmo	18K	10.8	0.6 years
Porciúncula	18K	10.3	0.5 years
Natividade	16K	10.1	0.5 years
Cambuci	15K	10.5	0.5 years
Italva	14K	9.1	0.4 years
Carapebus	14K	8.0	0.3 years
Cardoso Moreira	13K	8.4	0.3 years
Quatis	13K	12.8	0.8 years
Engenheiro Paulo de Frontin	12K	12.7	0.8 years
Areal	12K	11.7	0.7 years
Duas Barras	12K	11.8	0.7 years
Aperibé	11K	12.0	0.7 years
Trajano de Moraes	11K	11.0	0.6 years
Varre-Sai	11K	9.6	0.5 years
Santa Maria Madalena	10K	9.9	0.5 years
Rio das Flores	10K	12.3	0.7 years
Comendador Levy Gasparian	9K	12.9	0.8 years
São Sebastião do Alto	8K	10.2	0.5 years
São José de Ubá	7K	10.0	0.5 years
Laje do Muriaé	7K	10.7	0.6 years
Macuco	6K	10.4	0.5 years

Showing 92 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Rio de Janeiro is Injurious to Health.