Democratic Republic of Congo vs Rwanda: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Democratic Republic of Congo
35.81 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Rwanda
36.01 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Democratic Republic of Congo rank
31st
Rwanda rank
30th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Democratic Republic of Congo
- Rwanda
How they compare
Rwanda currently reports 36.01 micrograms per cubic meter against 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter in Democratic Republic of Congo, a difference of 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 12 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Rwanda ahead.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 31st and Rwanda ranks 30th of 200 countries.
Rwanda has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Democratic Republic of Congo | Rwanda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 36.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter | Rwanda |
| 2000s | 37.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 37.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.0212 micrograms per cubic meter | Rwanda |
| 2010s | 37.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.4126 micrograms per cubic meter | Rwanda |
| 2020s | 36.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.4736 micrograms per cubic meter | Rwanda |
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 Rwanda?
- Rwanda, at 36.01 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 Rwanda?
- 0.2 micrograms per cubic meter, with Rwanda ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 31st and Rwanda ranks 30th 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.