Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Burundi
Burundi: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
35.69 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
32nd
of 200 countries
All-time high
41.31 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2013
All-time low
32.12 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2018
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Burundi, 1990–2023
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2023, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Burundi stood at 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Burundi peaked at 41.31 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013 and was at its lowest, 32.12 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2018.
Burundi ranks 32nd of 200 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Burundi, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 37.38 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 37.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 37.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 37.97 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 38.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 38.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 38.34 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 38.47 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 38.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 38.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 38.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 38.22 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 36.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 36.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 38.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 37.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 37.77 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 39.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 36.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.4% |
| 2010 | 40.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.4% |
| 2011 | 40.89 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 40.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 41.31 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 36.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.9% |
| 2015 | 39.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.7% |
| 2016 | 39.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 32.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.6% |
| 2018 | 32.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 39.92 micrograms per cubic meter | +24.3% |
| 2020 | 37.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.9% |
| 2021 | 36.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 36.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for low income countries, which is 33.29 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.18 micrograms per cubic meter | 37.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 38.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 32.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 41.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 37.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
- 29 Congo 36.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 30 Rwanda 36.01 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 31 Democratic Republic of Congo 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 33 Mali 35.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 34 Myanmar 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 35 Togo 34.33 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Burundi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.95 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate -27.74 % change on previous year (2013)
- Standard Deviation 0.284 °C (2013)
- Temperature change 1.27 °C (2013)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 4.57 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Burundi?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Burundi was 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 41.31 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.12 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018.
- How does Burundi rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Burundi ranks 32nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.