Nigeria vs Saudi Arabia: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Nigeria
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter against 65.74 micrograms per cubic meter in Nigeria, a difference of 7.78 micrograms per cubic meter.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Nigeria ahead.
Nigeria ranks 4th and Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 1 and Saudi Arabia in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 64.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 55.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.43 micrograms per cubic meter | Nigeria |
| 2000s | 61.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 66.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 4.99 micrograms per cubic meter | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 61.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 72.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.89 micrograms per cubic meter | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 65.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 73.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.39 micrograms per cubic meter | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Nigeria or Saudi Arabia?
- Saudi Arabia, at 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter against 65.74 micrograms per cubic meter in Nigeria as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia?
- 7.78 micrograms per cubic meter, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Saudi Arabia?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Nigeria and Saudi Arabia rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Nigeria ranks 4th and Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd 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.