Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
73.52 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 5.5%
World rank
2nd
of 200 countries
All-time high
77.79 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2022
All-time low
52.06 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1991
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Saudi Arabia, 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
Saudi Arabia recorded 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.5% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Saudi Arabia peaked at 77.79 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022 and was at its lowest, 52.06 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1991.
That places Saudi Arabia 2nd 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 52.56 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 52.06 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 53.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 54.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 55.07 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 53.06 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 57.08 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.6% |
| 1997 | 58.08 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 59.08 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.7% |
| 1999 | 60.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 62.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.2% |
| 2001 | 59.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 59.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 71.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.0% |
| 2004 | 68.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 67.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 67.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 67.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 69.94 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 71.53 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 71.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 73.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 74.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 73.02 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 63.41 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.2% |
| 2015 | 76.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.1% |
| 2016 | 70.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 73.99 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.5% |
| 2018 | 72.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 71.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 68.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 73.67 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.7% |
| 2022 | 77.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.5% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 7.3× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 52.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 60.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 59.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 71.58 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 63.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 76.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 68.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 77.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.53 % 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 9.62 % 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 Saudi Arabia?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Saudi Arabia was 73.52 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 77.79 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.06 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.