⚠️ Unconfirmedenvironmental2022
Annual mean ambient PM₂.₅ air pollution exposure (population-weighted), 2022
Population-weighted exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM₂.₅) in 2022, measured in µg/m³, comparing air quality across countries.
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Key Insights
Global Average
21.7µg/m³
Median: 18.0µg/m³
Countries Covered
169
with available data
Highest
Bangladesh
77.0µg/m³
Lowest
Botswana
2.8µg/m³
Top 5 Countries
1Bangladesh77.0µg/m³
2Pakistan66.0µg/m³
3Afghanistan62.0µg/m³
4India58.0µg/m³
5Chad57.0µg/m³
By Region
Asia34.9µg/m³(25 countries)
Africa25.2µg/m³(9 countries)
Other22.8µg/m³(90 countries)
South America13.1µg/m³(7 countries)
North America13.0µg/m³(4 countries)
Key Findings
- •Exposure varies by an order of magnitude across countries, reflecting energy mix, urbanization, and dust/wildfire influences.
- •Several South Asian and Middle Eastern countries show very high estimated exposure, often combining combustion and natural dust sources.
- •Some remote island and high-latitude countries record some of the lowest population-weighted PM₂.₅ exposure globally.
Country Rankings
Top 10 Countries
Bottom 10 Countries
Data Analysis
Value Distribution
How countries are distributed across the value range
Low (2.8µg/m³)High (90.0µg/m³)
Regional Comparison
Average values by world region (Global avg: 21.7µg/m³)
Asia (25)
Africa (9)
Other (90)
South America (7)
North America (4)
Europe (32)
Oceania (2)
About This Statistic
This statistic measures the average annual exposure of a country’s population to fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅)—tiny airborne particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream. Values are population-weighted, meaning concentrations in densely populated areas influence the national figure more than sparsely populated regions.
PM₂.₅ is one of the most widely used global air-quality indicators because it is strongly linked to premature mortality and chronic disease risk. Cross-country differences reflect factors such as energy sources (coal, diesel), industrial activity, household solid-fuel use, dust and wildfire smoke, and air-pollution controls.
Full Data
| Rank ↑ | Country ↕ | Value ↕ |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bangladesh | 77.0µg/m³ |
| 2 | Pakistan | 66.0µg/m³ |
| 3 | Afghanistan | 62.0µg/m³ |
| 4 | India | 58.0µg/m³ |
| 5 | Chad | 57.0µg/m³ |
| 6 | Egypt | 51.0µg/m³ |
| 7 | Saudi Arabia | 49.0µg/m³ |
| 8 | Niger | 46.0µg/m³ |
| 9 | Qatar | 46.0µg/m³ |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates | 45.0µg/m³ |
| 11 | Bahrain | 45.0µg/m³ |
| 12 | Libya | 44.0µg/m³ |
| 13 | Oman | 44.0µg/m³ |
| 14 | Nepal | 44.0µg/m³ |
| 15 | Yemen | 44.0µg/m³ |
| 16 | Myanmar | 43.0µg/m³ |
| 17 | Mali | 43.0µg/m³ |
| 18 | Burkina Faso | 43.0µg/m³ |
| 19 | Iraq | 41.0µg/m³ |
| 20 | Kuwait | 40.0µg/m³ |
| 21 | Cameroon | 39.0µg/m³ |
| 22 | Syrian Arab Republic | 39.0µg/m³ |
| 23 | Guinea | 37.0µg/m³ |
| 24 | Islamic Republic of Iran | 37.0µg/m³ |
| 25 | Nigeria | 37.0µg/m³ |
| 26 | Mauritania | 36.0µg/m³ |
| 27 | Sudan | 36.0µg/m³ |
| 28 | People's Republic of China | 35.0µg/m³ |
| 29 | Republic of the Congo | 34.0µg/m³ |
| 30 | Austria | 34.0µg/m³ |
| 31 | Burundi | 33.0µg/m³ |
| 32 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 33.0µg/m³ |
| 33 | Benin | 33.0µg/m³ |
| 34 | Djibouti | 33.0µg/m³ |
| 35 | Togo | 33.0µg/m³ |
| 36 | Equatorial Guinea | 32.0µg/m³ |
| 37 | Jordan | 31.0µg/m³ |
| 38 | Senegal | 31.0µg/m³ |
| 39 | Armenia | 31.0µg/m³ |
| 40 | Ghana | 30.0µg/m³ |
| 41 | Uganda | 30.0µg/m³ |
| 42 | Cote d'Ivoire | 29.0µg/m³ |
| 43 | Rwanda | 29.0µg/m³ |
| 44 | Sierra Leone | 28.0µg/m³ |
| 45 | Vietnam | 28.0µg/m³ |
| 46 | Bhutan | 28.0µg/m³ |
| 47 | Indonesia | 27.0µg/m³ |
| 48 | Cambodia | 26.0µg/m³ |
| 49 | Mongolia | 26.0µg/m³ |
| 50 | Uzbekistan | 26.0µg/m³ |
| 51 | Ethiopia | 25.0µg/m³ |
| 52 | Lebanon | 25.0µg/m³ |
| 53 | Cayman Islands | 24.0µg/m³ |
| 54 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 24.0µg/m³ |
| 55 | Somalia | 24.0µg/m³ |
| 56 | Thailand | 23.0µg/m³ |
| 57 | Zambia | 23.0µg/m³ |
| 58 | Central African Republic | 22.0µg/m³ |
| 59 | Kenya | 22.0µg/m³ |
| 60 | Zimbabwe | 22.0µg/m³ |
| 61 | Republic of The Gambia | 21.0µg/m³ |
| 62 | Kazakhstan | 21.0µg/m³ |
| 63 | Tunisia | 21.0µg/m³ |
| 64 | Bermuda | 21.0µg/m³ |
| 65 | Bolivia | 21.0µg/m³ |
| 66 | Cape Verde | 20.0µg/m³ |
| 67 | Honduras | 20.0µg/m³ |
| 68 | Madagascar | 20.0µg/m³ |
| 69 | Malawi | 20.0µg/m³ |
| 70 | South Africa | 20.0µg/m³ |
| 71 | Barbados | 20.0µg/m³ |
| 72 | El Salvador | 19.0µg/m³ |
| 73 | South Korea | 19.0µg/m³ |
| 74 | Kyrgyzstan | 19.0µg/m³ |
| 75 | Malaysia | 19.0µg/m³ |
| 76 | Mexico | 19.0µg/m³ |
| 77 | Morocco | 19.0µg/m³ |
| 78 | Philippines | 19.0µg/m³ |
| 79 | Sri Lanka | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 80 | Guatemala | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 81 | Haiti | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 82 | Mozambique | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 83 | Peru | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 84 | Türkiye | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 85 | Venezuela | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 86 | Albania | 18.0µg/m³ |
| 87 | Cuba | 17.0µg/m³ |
| 88 | Georgia | 17.0µg/m³ |
| 89 | Montenegro | 17.0µg/m³ |
| 90 | Paraguay | 17.0µg/m³ |
| 91 | Chile | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 92 | Israel | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 93 | Lesotho | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 94 | Nicaragua | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 95 | Romania | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 96 | United Republic of Tanzania | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 97 | Andorra | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 98 | Belize | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 99 | Solomon Islands | 16.0µg/m³ |
| 100 | Dominican Republic | 15.0µg/m³ |
| 101 | Gabon | 15.0µg/m³ |
| 102 | Liberia | 15.0µg/m³ |
| 103 | Panama | 15.0µg/m³ |
| 104 | Singapore | 15.0µg/m³ |
| 105 | The Republic of North Macedonia | 15.0µg/m³ |
| 106 | Colombia | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 107 | Eritrea | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 108 | Moldova, Republic of | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 109 | Namibia | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 110 | Poland | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 111 | Serbia | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 112 | Suriname | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 113 | Angola | 14.0µg/m³ |
| 114 | Belarus | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 115 | Cyprus | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 116 | Czech Republic | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 117 | Greece | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 118 | Hungary | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 119 | Jamaica | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 120 | Guinea-Bissau | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 121 | Ukraine | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 122 | Argentina | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 123 | Brunei Darussalam | 13.0µg/m³ |
| 124 | Fiji | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 125 | Italy | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 126 | Latvia | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 127 | Mauritius | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 128 | Slovakia | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 129 | Trinidad and Tobago | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 130 | Antigua and Barbuda | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 131 | Brazil | 12.0µg/m³ |
| 132 | Bulgaria | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 133 | Croatia | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 134 | Japan | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 135 | Lithuania | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 136 | Luxembourg | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 137 | Russian Federation | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 138 | Slovenia | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 139 | Azerbaijan | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 140 | Belgium | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 141 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 11.0µg/m³ |
| 142 | Costa Rica | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 143 | Denmark | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 144 | Ecuador | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 145 | Faroe Islands | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 146 | France | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 147 | Germany | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 148 | Netherlands | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 149 | Timor-Leste | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 150 | Bahamas | 10.0µg/m³ |
| 151 | Spain | 9.0µg/m³ |
| 152 | United Kingdom | 9.0µg/m³ |
| 153 | Uruguay | 9.0µg/m³ |
| 154 | Algeria | 9.0µg/m³ |
| 155 | Estonia | 8.0µg/m³ |
| 156 | Ireland | 8.0µg/m³ |
| 157 | Papua New Guinea | 8.0µg/m³ |
| 158 | Portugal | 8.0µg/m³ |
| 159 | Switzerland | 8.0µg/m³ |
| 160 | United States of America | 8.0µg/m³ |
| 161 | Canada | 7.0µg/m³ |
| 162 | New Caledonia | 7.0µg/m³ |
| 163 | Australia | 7.0µg/m³ |
| 164 | Finland | 6.0µg/m³ |
| 165 | Norway | 6.0µg/m³ |
| 166 | Sweden | 6.0µg/m³ |
| 167 | New Zealand | 5.8µg/m³ |
| 168 | Iceland | 3.2µg/m³ |
| 169 | Botswana | 2.8µg/m³ |
Showing 169 of 169 countries
Topics
Data Source
This data comes from World Health Organization (WHO) – Global Health Observatory (GHO) (2022).
View Original Source