Breathing in Antioquia is Injurious to Health.

Air pollution threatens the health of 6.6 million people across 125 districts in Antioquia. The average PM2.5 level is 18.9 µg/m³—3.8× higher than the WHO guideline.

AboutMake Air Quality Great AgainAQLI Data

Brought to you by Amrit Sharma

Overview

Air Pollution in Antioquia

Antioquia faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 6.6 million across 125 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 18.9µg/m³. That's 3.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 314 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 Antioquia met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 1.37 years longer.

That's 9.1M years of life stolen from 6.6 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 Antioquia. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

  • 1.Nechí
    1.6 years lost
  • 2.Itagüí
    1.5 years lost
  • 3.Caucasia
    1.5 years lost
  • 4.Medellín
    1.5 years lost
  • 5.Amagá
    1.5 years lost
  • 6.Sabaneta
    1.5 years lost
  • 7.El Bagre
    1.5 years lost
  • 8.Fredonia
    1.5 years lost
  • 9.Santa Bárbara
    1.5 years lost
  • 10.Venecia
    1.5 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
0%
0
5-10 µg/m³
0%
0
10-15 µg/m³
0.4%
25K
15-25 µg/m³
99.6%
6.6M
25-35 µg/m³
0%
0
> 35 µg/m³
0%
0
Districts

All 125 Districts in Antioquia

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

DistrictPopulationPM2.5 µg/m³Years Lost
Medellín2.5M
20.1
1.5 years
Bello486K
19.3
1.4 years
Itagüí266K
20.4
1.5 years
Envigado241K
19.8
1.4 years
Apartadó200K
16.2
1.1 years
Turbo174K
16.3
1.1 years
Rionegro126K
18.1
1.3 years
Caucasia122K
20.4
1.5 years
Chigorodó83K
15.5
1.0 years
Caldas80K
19.6
1.4 years
Copacabana71K
18.0
1.3 years
Necoclí65K
15.4
1.0 years
La Estrella65K
19.5
1.4 years
Carepa60K
15.8
1.1 years
Girardota59K
17.6
1.2 years
Marinilla56K
18.1
1.3 years
La Ceja54K
18.6
1.3 years
Sabaneta54K
20.0
1.5 years
Barbosa52K
17.1
1.2 years
Guarné51K
17.3
1.2 years
Puerto Berrío50K
17.9
1.3 years
El Bagre49K
19.9
1.5 years
Yarumal48K
17.5
1.2 years
El Carmen de Viboral48K
18.4
1.3 years
Tarazá48K
19.2
1.4 years
Andes47K
17.2
1.2 years
Urrao46K
15.5
1.0 years
Cáceres42K
19.6
1.4 years
Segovia41K
17.4
1.2 years
Arboletes40K
16.1
1.1 years
Santa Rosa de Osos37K
17.2
1.2 years
San Pedro de Urabá34K
16.4
1.1 years
Sonsón33K
18.2
1.3 years
Zaragoza32K
19.1
1.4 years
Remedios32K
17.4
1.2 years
Amagá30K
20.1
1.5 years
Nechí29K
21.8
1.6 years
Ciudad Bolívar29K
16.7
1.1 years
San Pedro de los Milagros28K
16.7
1.1 years
San Juan de Urabá27K
15.7
1.1 years
Mutatá27K
15.1
1.0 years
Santuario27K
18.4
1.3 years
Yolombó25K
17.3
1.2 years
Santafé de Antioquia25K
17.6
1.2 years
Valdivia24K
19.2
1.4 years
Don Matías24K
16.8
1.2 years
Amalfi22K
18.0
1.3 years
Dabeiba22K
15.0
1.0 years
Puerto Triunfo21K
18.0
1.3 years
Santa Bárbara21K
19.9
1.5 years
Yondó20K
19.5
1.4 years
Concordia20K
17.9
1.3 years
Retiro19K
18.6
1.3 years
La Unión19K
18.4
1.3 years
Ituango19K
16.8
1.2 years
Puerto Nare18K
17.7
1.2 years
Abejorral18K
18.4
1.3 years
Fredonia18K
19.9
1.5 years
Nariño18K
18.9
1.4 years
Anorí18K
18.5
1.3 years
Betulia17K
17.4
1.2 years
Salgar17K
17.4
1.2 years
Cañasgordas16K
15.8
1.1 years
San Carlos16K
17.8
1.3 years
San Vicente16K
17.4
1.2 years
San Roque15K
17.3
1.2 years
Peñol15K
18.2
1.3 years
El Sopetrán15K
18.3
1.3 years
Frontino15K
14.8
1.0 years
Cocorná14K
18.5
1.3 years
Titiribí14K
19.4
1.4 years
Támesis13K
19.1
1.4 years
Gómez Plata13K
17.4
1.2 years
Jardín13K
17.7
1.2 years
Yalí13K
17.1
1.2 years
San Jerónimo13K
18.8
1.3 years
Tarso12K
18.9
1.4 years
San Rafael12K
17.9
1.3 years
Ebéjico12K
18.8
1.4 years
Jericó11K
18.6
1.3 years
Pequé11K
16.4
1.1 years
San Luís11K
18.0
1.3 years
Angostura11K
17.4
1.2 years
Venecia10K
19.8
1.5 years
Entrerríos10K
16.9
1.2 years
Santo Domingo10K
17.8
1.3 years
Granada10K
18.3
1.3 years
Angelópolis9K
19.4
1.4 years
Liborina9K
17.4
1.2 years
Betania9K
16.8
1.2 years
Campamento9K
17.9
1.3 years
Cisneros8K
17.8
1.3 years
Briceño8K
17.8
1.3 years
Caicedo8K
16.7
1.1 years
Sabanalarga8K
17.2
1.2 years
Uramita8K
15.2
1.0 years
Argelia8K
18.6
1.3 years
Anzá7K
17.5
1.2 years
La Pintada7K
19.8
1.4 years
Belmira7K
17.1
1.2 years
Toledo7K
17.2
1.2 years
Maceo7K
17.0
1.2 years
Buriticá6K
16.7
1.1 years
Pueblorrico6K
18.1
1.3 years
Guadalupe6K
17.5
1.2 years
San Andrés de Cuerquia6K
17.1
1.2 years
Caramanta5K
19.1
1.4 years
Vigía del Fuerte5K
13.3
0.8 years
Heliconia5K
19.0
1.4 years
Montebello5K
19.4
1.4 years
Murindó5K
13.5
0.8 years
Valparaíso5K
19.4
1.4 years
Guatapé5K
18.3
1.3 years
Hispania5K
17.6
1.2 years
San Francisco5K
18.3
1.3 years
Vegachí4K
17.2
1.2 years
Caracolí4K
17.3
1.2 years
Giraldo4K
16.6
1.1 years
Armenia4K
19.3
1.4 years
San José de la Montaña3K
17.2
1.2 years
Olaya3K
18.0
1.3 years
Carolina del Principe3K
17.2
1.2 years
Alejandría3K
17.9
1.3 years
Concepción3K
17.7
1.2 years
Abriaquí2K
15.8
1.1 years

Showing 125 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.