City in Tibet, China
Air quality in Lhasa
Moderate
The annual average PM2.5 in Lhasa was 10.3 µg/m³ in 2024, about 2.1 times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³. Air is clean, but dust blows in spring and UV is intense at altitude.
Key facts
- PM2.5: 10.3 µg/m³ yearly average (2024). Measured at Lhasa.
- PM10: 20.3 µg/m³ (2024).
- Nitrogen dioxide: 15.8 µg/m³ (2024), mostly from traffic.
- Recent average: 10.5 µg/m³ over the last five years of measurements.
PM2.5 by year
| Year | Annual average |
|---|---|
| 2024 | |
| 2023 | |
| 2022 | |
| 2021 | |
| 2020 | |
| 2018 |
Air quality across China
| Place | PM2.5 | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Lhasa | 10.3 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Shangri-La | 11 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Sanya | 11.4 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Lijiang | 13.7 µg/m³ | Moderate |
| Shenzhen | 17.3 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Dali | 17.6 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Xiamen | 18.8 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Kunming | 19.6 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Huangshan | 20.7 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Guangzhou | 21.1 µg/m³ | Polluted |
| Qingdao | 26.7 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Guilin | 26.9 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Shanghai | 28.4 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Nanjing | 28.5 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Zhangjiajie | 29.6 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Hangzhou | 30.2 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Beijing | 31 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Chengdu | 32 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Chongqing | 33.2 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Suzhou | 33.2 µg/m³ | Very polluted |
| Wuhan | 35.8 µg/m³ | Severely polluted |
| Tianjin | 38.4 µg/m³ | Severely polluted |
| Changsha | 39.2 µg/m³ | Severely polluted |
| Harbin | 40.3 µg/m³ | Severely polluted |
| Xi'an | 44 µg/m³ | Severely polluted |
| Kashgar | 90.2 µg/m³ | Severely polluted |
Quick answers
Is the air in Lhasa bad?
Moderate: 10.3 µg/m³ of PM2.5 on average, 2.1× the WHO guideline.
When is the air worst in Lhasa?
Air is clean, but dust blows in spring and UV is intense at altitude.
How does Lhasa compare with the rest of China?
People in China breathe 32 µg/m³ of PM2.5 on average (2023, World Bank/WHO), against 10.3 µg/m³ measured here.
More about Lhasa
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Sources
- WHO Ambient Air Quality Database
- WHO air quality guidelines (2021)
- Live air quality map (WAQI)
- National Immigration Administration
- China Railway 12306
Annual averages are measured values reported to the WHO; check a live map for today's air. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.