Democratic Republic of Congo vs Congo: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Congo
How they compare
Congo currently reports 36.54 micrograms per cubic meter against 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter in Democratic Republic of Congo, a difference of 0.73 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Democratic Republic of Congo ahead.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 31st and Congo ranks 29th of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Democratic Republic of Congo averaged higher in 3 and Congo in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Democratic Republic of Congo | Congo | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 35.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.57 micrograms per cubic meter | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| 2000s | 37.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 37 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.8378 micrograms per cubic meter | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| 2010s | 37.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.24 micrograms per cubic meter | Democratic Republic of Congo |
| 2020s | 36.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 37.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.6268 micrograms per cubic meter | Congo |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Democratic Republic of Congo or Congo?
- Congo, at 36.54 micrograms per cubic meter against 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter in Democratic Republic of Congo as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo?
- 0.73 micrograms per cubic meter, with Congo ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 31st and Congo ranks 29th 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.