Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Kenya
Kenya: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
20.25 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
80th
of 200 countries
All-time high
22.7 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2020
All-time low
14.6 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Kenya, 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 Kenya is 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Kenya peaked at 22.7 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020 and was at its lowest, 14.6 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1991.
That places Kenya 80th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Kenya, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.86 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 14.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 15.01 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.8% |
| 1993 | 15.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 15.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 14.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 16.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.7% |
| 1997 | 17.07 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 17.48 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 17.89 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 18.97 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 21.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.7% |
| 2002 | 20.35 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 17.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.1% |
| 2004 | 16.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 19.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.8% |
| 2007 | 21.04 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 20.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 19.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.1% |
| 2010 | 21.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 21.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 21.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 21.31 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 18.9 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.3% |
| 2015 | 18.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 19.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 18.11 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.5% |
| 2018 | 19.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.5% |
| 2019 | 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 22.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.1% |
| 2021 | 20.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 20.77 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.5% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 78% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 74% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 77 Indonesia 20.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 78 Nicaragua 20.42 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 79 Cote d'Ivoire 20.39 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 81 Zambia 20.24 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 82 Cape Verde 20.19 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 83 Tanzania 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % 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 Kenya?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Kenya was 20.25 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991.
- How does Kenya rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Kenya ranks 80th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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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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.