Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Cameroon
Cameroon: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
55.6 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
10th
of 200 countries
All-time high
61.73 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2015
All-time low
47.19 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2001
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Cameroon, 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
The most recent figure for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Cameroon is 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Cameroon peaked at 61.73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 and was at its lowest, 47.19 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2001.
That places Cameroon 10th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52.59 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 50.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 1992 | 51.18 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 51.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 51.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 48 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.5% |
| 1996 | 52.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.7% |
| 1997 | 53.01 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 53.38 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 53.74 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 56.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 47.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.1% |
| 2002 | 50.3 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 48.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 54.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.6% |
| 2005 | 51.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.2% |
| 2006 | 52.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 54.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 55.28 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 53.57 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 2010 | 52.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 52.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 54.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 52.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 51.64 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 61.73 micrograms per cubic meter | +19.5% |
| 2016 | 58.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 58.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.8% |
| 2019 | 52.86 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 53.48 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 53.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 56.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 2.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 48 micrograms per cubic meter | 53.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 52.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 47.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 56.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 51.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 61.73 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 54.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 53.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 56.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 7 Pakistan 58.37 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 8 United Arab Emirates 57.19 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 9 Bahrain 56.57 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 11 India 54.05 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 12 Nepal 53.2 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 13 Iraq 49.47 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Cameroon
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.68 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.211 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6539 % 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 0.4385 % 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 Cameroon?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Cameroon was 55.6 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 Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 61.73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.19 micrograms per cubic meter in 2001.
- How does Cameroon rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Cameroon ranks 10th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.
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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.