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
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.
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
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 3.06 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.31 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 0.7882 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.2847 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.3356 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0003 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 1.6 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0002 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0038 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 0.1865 Mt CO2e (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.