Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 43.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Bangladesh, 2010–2023
Source: World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
The most recent figure for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Bangladesh is 43.87 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.0% on the previous year and down 23.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Bangladesh peaked at 57.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016 and was at its lowest, 41.39 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
That places Bangladesh 14th out of 226 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 56.07 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 2011 | 54.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 56.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 56.98 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 56.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 55.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 57.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 52.22 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.3% |
| 2018 | 52.93 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 46.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.5% |
| 2020 | 42.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 44.61 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 41.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 43.87 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 54.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 46.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 57.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 41.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 44.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 11 Mauritania 45.56 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 12 Saudi Arabia 44.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 13 Senegal 44.73 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 15 Ghana 43.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 16 India 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 16 Pakistan 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Bangladesh
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.59 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.3 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.236 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.67 °C (2025)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export quantity, per capita 0 m3 per person (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, annual growth rate -44.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Sawnwood — Export value, per capita 0 1000 USD per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Bangladesh?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Bangladesh was 43.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 57.6 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.39 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does Bangladesh rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- Bangladesh ranks 14th out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (population-weighted), by location (micrograms per cubic meter).