Air pollution — France
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What does this chart show?
The orange curve is the amount of fine particles breathed on average by the country's inhabitants. The higher it is, the more polluted the air. The green line (5 µg/m³) is the threshold the WHO recommends not exceeding to limit health risks — fewer than 15% of cities worldwide meet it today. Example: a value of 15 µg/m³ means the country breathes, on average, 3 times more fine particles than the WHO recommends.
What exactly does this figure cover?
This is the average annual exposure to fine particles PM2.5, population-weighted (more populated areas count more), estimated by satellite modeling. The WHO recommends staying under 5 µg/m³ to limit cardiovascular and respiratory risks — fewer than 15% of cities worldwide meet this threshold today.
Source: SatPM (Washington University in St. Louis), via Our World in Data (CC-BY). Automatic monthly refresh.