Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Lesotho
Lesotho: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
26.44 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 14.0%
World rank
58th
of 200 countries
All-time high
33.49 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2010
All-time low
24.24 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2005
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Lesotho, 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 Lesotho stood at 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter.
That represents a change of down 14.0% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Lesotho peaked at 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010 and was at its lowest, 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2005.
That places Lesotho 58th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 30.63 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 30.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 30.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 30.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 30.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 30.85 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 29.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 29.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 29.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 28.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 29.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 26.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 24.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 28.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +16.4% |
| 2007 | 30.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.7% |
| 2008 | 29.49 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 30.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 30.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 27.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.1% |
| 2013 | 26.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 25.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 26.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 28.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.8% |
| 2018 | 27.36 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 25.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 27.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 27.11 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 30.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.4% |
| 2023 | 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 55 South Africa 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 56 Guinea 27.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 57 Lebanon 26.69 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 59 Turkey 26.4 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 60 Bosnia and Herzegovina 26.09 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 61 Laos 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Lesotho
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.284 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.783 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.521 % 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 -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4197 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Lesotho?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Lesotho was 26.44 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 2005.
- How does Lesotho rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Lesotho ranks 58th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.