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.

Venezuela's Anzoátegui Air Pollution Report

Overview

Air Pollution in Anzoátegui

Anzoátegui faces significant air pollution challenges. 100% of districts exceed the WHO guideline for clean air. This is putting 2.2 million across 22 districts at risk.

The average PM2.5 over 2023 was 9.2µg/m³. That's 1.8 times the WHO guideline for clean air of 5µg/m³.

This is equivalent of everybody, including children, smoking about 153 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 Anzoátegui met the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³, the average person would live 0.42 years longer.

That's 904K years of life stolen from 2.2 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 Anzoátegui. These areas face the greatest health burden from air pollution.

1.San Juan de Capistrano
0.5 years lost
2.Fernando de Peñalver
0.5 years lost
3.Carvajal
0.5 years lost
4.Lic. Diego Bautista Urban
0.5 years lost
5.Bruzual
0.5 years lost
6.Bolívar
0.5 years lost
7.Monagas
0.5 years lost
8.Píritu
0.4 years lost
9.Sotillo
0.4 years lost
10.Isla
0.4 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

97.7%

2.1M

10-15 µg/m³

2.3%

50K

15-25 µg/m³

25-35 µg/m³

> 35 µg/m³

Districts

All 22 Districts in Anzoátegui

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

District	Population	PM2.5 µg/m³	Years Lost
Bolívar	538K	9.7	0.5 years
Independencia	536K	8.9	0.4 years
Freites	341K	8.8	0.4 years
Sotillo	259K	9.5	0.4 years
Anaco	141K	8.1	0.3 years
Fernando de Peñalver	48K	10.2	0.5 years
Aragua	43K	8.6	0.4 years
Carvajal	41K	10.0	0.5 years
Guanta	40K	9.3	0.4 years
Bruzual	34K	9.8	0.5 years
Monagas	18K	9.7	0.5 years
Píritu	18K	9.5	0.4 years
Libertad	15K	7.3	0.2 years
Guanipa	15K	8.8	0.4 years
Cajigal	14K	9.3	0.4 years
General Sir Arthur McGregor	13K	9.2	0.4 years
Santa Ana	12K	8.3	0.3 years
Lic. Diego Bautista Urban	10K	9.8	0.5 years
Simón Rodríguez	9K	9.2	0.4 years
Miranda	5K	9.4	0.4 years
San Juan de Capistrano	2K	10.4	0.5 years
Isla	118	9.4	0.4 years

Showing 22 districts, sorted by population (largest first). PM2.5 values are for 2023. Years lost calculated against WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.

Breathing in Anzoátegui is Injurious to Health.