Air pollution threatens the health of 1.5 million people across 8 districts in Arequipa. The average PM2.5 level is 13.8 µg/m³—2.8× higher than the WHO guideline.
Brought to you by Amrit Sharma
Arequipa faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 1.5 million across 8 districts at risk.
The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 13.8µg/m³. That's 2.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.
This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 229 cigarettes in a year.
If Arequipa met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.87 years longer.
That's 1.3M years of life stolen from 1.5 million people. Years of watching children grow up. Years of building a career. Years of quiet mornings and celebrations.
Lives cut short. Breathing kills.
The top 8 most polluted districts in Arequipa. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.
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.
Complete air quality data for every district in Arequipa, sorted by population.
| District | Population | PM2.5 µg/m³ | Years Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arequipa | 1.2M | 13.1 | 0.8 years |
| Camaná | 68K | 19.0 | 1.4 years |
| Islay | 57K | 18.4 | 1.3 years |
| Caylloma | 51K | 15.4 | 1.0 years |
| Caravelí | 43K | 14.9 | 1.0 years |
| Castilla | 38K | 15.1 | 1.0 years |
| Condesuyos | 18K | 15.3 | 1.0 years |
| La Unión | 14K | 15.6 | 1.0 years |
Showing 8 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.