France vs Switzerland: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
France
8.23 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Switzerland
8.32 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
France rank
169th
Switzerland rank
168th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- France
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 8.32 micrograms per cubic meter against 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter in France, a difference of 0.09 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Switzerland ahead.
France ranks 169th and Switzerland ranks 168th of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, France averaged higher in 2 and Switzerland in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.68 micrograms per cubic meter | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 16.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.22 micrograms per cubic meter | Switzerland |
| 2010s | 12.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 12 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.4531 micrograms per cubic meter | France |
| 2020s | 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.0428 micrograms per cubic meter | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, France or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 8.32 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 France and Switzerland?
- 0.09 micrograms per cubic meter, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Switzerland?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do France and Switzerland rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- France ranks 169th and Switzerland ranks 168th 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.