Belgium vs France: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Belgium
8.45 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
France
8.23 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Belgium rank
166th
France rank
169th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Belgium
- France
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter against 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter in France, a difference of 0.22 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 166th and France ranks 169th of 200 countries.
Belgium has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | France | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.67 micrograms per cubic meter | Belgium |
| 2000s | 18.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 micrograms per cubic meter | Belgium |
| 2010s | 13.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.17 micrograms per cubic meter | Belgium |
| 2020s | 9.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.268 micrograms per cubic meter | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Belgium or France?
- Belgium, at 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter against 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter in France as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Belgium and France?
- 0.22 micrograms per cubic meter, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and France?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and France rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Belgium ranks 166th and France ranks 169th 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.