Qatar vs Saudi Arabia: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Qatar
107.76 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Saudi Arabia
73.52 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Qatar rank
1st
Saudi Arabia rank
2nd
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Qatar
- Saudi Arabia
How they compare
Qatar currently reports 107.76 micrograms per cubic meter against 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 34.24 micrograms per cubic meter.
That makes Qatar's figure about 1.5 times Saudi Arabia's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, Qatar has been ahead every year.
Qatar ranks 1st and Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd of 200 countries.
Qatar has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Qatar | Saudi Arabia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 107.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 55.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 52.05 micrograms per cubic meter | Qatar |
| 2000s | 106.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 66.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 39.43 micrograms per cubic meter | Qatar |
| 2010s | 102.27 micrograms per cubic meter | 72.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.12 micrograms per cubic meter | Qatar |
| 2020s | 106.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 73.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.35 micrograms per cubic meter | Qatar |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Qatar or Saudi Arabia?
- Qatar, at 107.76 micrograms per cubic meter against 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter in Saudi Arabia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Qatar and Saudi Arabia?
- 34.24 micrograms per cubic meter, with Qatar ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Qatar and Saudi Arabia?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Qatar and Saudi Arabia rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Qatar ranks 1st 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.