Spain vs United Kingdom: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Spain
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Spain currently reports 10.08 micrograms per cubic meter against 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.62 micrograms per cubic meter.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Spain ranks 155th and United Kingdom ranks 158th of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Spain averaged higher in 1 and United Kingdom in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Spain | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.13 micrograms per cubic meter | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 14.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.2534 micrograms per cubic meter | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 11.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.3719 micrograms per cubic meter | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 10.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.8363 micrograms per cubic meter | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Spain or United Kingdom?
- Spain, at 10.08 micrograms per cubic meter against 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter in United Kingdom as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Spain and United Kingdom?
- 0.62 micrograms per cubic meter, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Spain and United Kingdom?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Spain and United Kingdom rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Spain ranks 155th and United Kingdom ranks 158th 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.