Afghanistan vs Iran: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Afghanistan
37.95 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Iran
40.25 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Afghanistan rank
26th
Iran rank
23rd
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Afghanistan
- Iran
How they compare
Iran currently reports 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter against 37.95 micrograms per cubic meter in Afghanistan, a difference of 2.3 micrograms per cubic meter.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times Afghanistan's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Afghanistan ahead.
Afghanistan ranks 26th and Iran ranks 23rd of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 2 and Iran in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Afghanistan | Iran | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 48 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.15 micrograms per cubic meter | Afghanistan |
| 2000s | 43.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.81 micrograms per cubic meter | Afghanistan |
| 2010s | 37.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 40.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.35 micrograms per cubic meter | Iran |
| 2020s | 38.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 41 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.98 micrograms per cubic meter | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Afghanistan or Iran?
- Iran, at 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter against 37.95 micrograms per cubic meter in Afghanistan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Afghanistan and Iran?
- 2.3 micrograms per cubic meter, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Iran?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Afghanistan and Iran rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Afghanistan ranks 26th and Iran ranks 23rd of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The average level of exposure of the population to suspended particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and damaging health. This is measured in micrograms per cubic meter.