Lesotho vs South Africa: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Lesotho
26.44 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
South Africa
27.72 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Lesotho rank
58th
South Africa rank
55th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Lesotho
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter against 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter in Lesotho, a difference of 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Lesotho ahead.
Lesotho ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 55th of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Lesotho averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.28 micrograms per cubic meter | Lesotho |
| 2000s | 28.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.73 micrograms per cubic meter | Lesotho |
| 2010s | 27.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.8779 micrograms per cubic meter | South Africa |
| 2020s | 27.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.2181 micrograms per cubic meter | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Lesotho or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter against 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter in Lesotho as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Lesotho and South Africa?
- 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Lesotho and South Africa rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Lesotho ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 55th 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.