Almaty Air Initiative analysts told what kind of air Almaty residents breathed in 2024
The Almaty Air Initiative Foundation has completed its analysis and published a report on air quality in Almaty for 2024. The report presents key data on pollution, a comparison with 2023, and changes in dynamics. This overview can help people in the city better understand the environmental situation and its impact on health.
"On January 14, Almaty topped the rating of the most polluted cities in the world according to IQAir, which is updated in real time. Clean air starts with transparent data, and now every Almaty resident can see the real picture not "at the moment", but for the year. For the first time, we are publishing an annual air quality report based on data from Clarity sensors," says Zhuldyz Saulebekova, head of Almaty Air Initiative.
Key Results
Almaty air: PM2.5 concentrations almost five times higher than WHO standards. The average annual PM2.5 concentration in Almaty in 2024 was almost five times higher than WHO standards. A slight improvement (-6 μg/m³ compared to 2023) was recorded, due to cleaner air at the beginning and middle of the year.
When is it better not to breathe?
From November to February, the air in Almaty remained “unhealthy” in both 2023 and 2024. At the same time, in December 2024, pollution (50.6 μg/m³) exceeded the level of December 2023 (46.7 μg/m³) by ~10%.
164 clean days a year
In 2024, the number of days with air that met WHO standards (PM2.5 < 15 μg/m³) increased from 137 to 164. The main improvement occurred in the summer, from May to August, where the number of such days increased by 22. No changes were recorded in other seasons. The remaining seasons – without significant changes.
The "dirtiest" days
It is noted that the most polluted days were:
- February 6: PM2.5 was 114 µg/m³ – 7.6 times higher than WHO standards.
- December 25 and 26: Peak values reached 106 and 102 µg/m³, respectively.
In summer the air is 5 times cleaner than in winter
Summer 2024 was the cleanest, with PM2.5 concentrations at 11.5 μg/m³. While in winter (December, January, February) pollution reached its maximum values of 49.9 μg/m³, which is five times higher than summer levels.
Residents of southern regions breathe clean air twice as often
The greatest pollution is observed in the north-eastern districts of Almaty (Zhetysu, Turksib), where the average annual concentration of PM2.5 is 31.2 μg/m³.
Southern districts, such as Medeu and Bostandyk, remain comparatively cleaner, with a concentration of 16.1 μg/m³ – two times lower than in the north-eastern districts of the city.
The full report can be viewed here .
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Cover: Illustrative photo from the website gov.kz