Germany vs Netherlands: Exposure to outdoor air pollution
Germany
9.1 µg/m³
in 2024
Netherlands
9.6 µg/m³
in 2024
Germany rank
176th
Netherlands rank
173rd
Exposure to outdoor air pollution over time
- Germany
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 9.6 µg/m³ against 9.1 µg/m³ in Germany, a difference of 0.5 µg/m³.
That makes Netherlands's figure about 1.1 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 27 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Germany ahead.
Germany ranks 176th and Netherlands ranks 173rd of 241 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 1 and Netherlands in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.95 µg/m³ | 15.4 µg/m³ | 0.55 µg/m³ | Germany |
| 2000s | 14.96 µg/m³ | 15.36 µg/m³ | 0.4 µg/m³ | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 12.89 µg/m³ | 13.51 µg/m³ | 0.62 µg/m³ | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 9.02 µg/m³ | 9.44 µg/m³ | 0.42 µg/m³ | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher exposure to outdoor air pollution, Germany or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 9.6 µg/m³ against 9.1 µg/m³ in Germany as of 2024.
- What is the difference in exposure to outdoor air pollution between Germany and Netherlands?
- 0.5 µg/m³, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Netherlands?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2024.
- How do Germany and Netherlands rank globally for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Germany ranks 176th and Netherlands ranks 173rd of 241 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Exposure to outdoor air pollution. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can pose significant health risks.