Overview
- IQAir’s 2025 report puts Peru at 19.1 µg/m³ for annual PM2.5, up from 17.1, moving the country from 58th to 40th in the global pollution ranking.
- Arequipa records 26.1 µg/m³, the highest in Peru, while Lima posts 18.5 µg/m³ and cities like Trujillo and Cusco also exceed safe levels.
- The WHO guideline is 5 µg/m³ for yearly PM2.5, and these tiny particles can lodge in lungs and reach the bloodstream, raising risks of asthma and heart disease.
- Peru’s auto industry group blames an aging fleet, weak vehicle checks, dirty fuels, and gridlock, and it urges scrappage, cleaner fuels, Euro 6 engines, and tougher enforcement.
- Local readings show stark gaps, with several Lima districts at 27–33 µg/m³ while Puno sits near the WHO limit at 5.3 µg/m³, signaling uneven exposure across the country.