Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in China
China: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 40.17 in 2019. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in China, 2010–2019
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in China is 40.17, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.8% on the previous year and down 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in China peaked at 68.21 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 40.17, in 2019.
That places China 30th out of 216 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 49.53 | — |
| 2011 | 54.58 | +10.2% |
| 2012 | 56.15 | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 68.21 | +21.5% |
| 2014 | 58.22 | -14.6% |
| 2015 | 54.47 | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 50.09 | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 49.37 | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 42.65 | -13.6% |
| 2019 | 40.17 | -5.8% |
Countries ranked near China
- 27 Senegal 42.18 compare
- 28 Gambia 41.4 compare
- 29 Liberia 40.53 compare
- 31 Guinea-Bissau 40.06 compare
- 32 Kyrgyzstan 39.65 compare
- 33 United Arab Emirates 39.03 compare
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Newsprint — Import quantity, gaps filled 494,088 t (2024)
- Newsprint — Import quantity, annual growth rate -15.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Newsprint — Import value, gaps filled 251,546 1000 USD (2024)
- Newsprint — Import value, annual growth rate -21.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Printing and writing papers — Import quantity, annual growth rate 9.44 % change on previous year (2024)
- Printing and writing papers — Import quantity, per capita 0.0009 t per person (2024)
- Printing and writing papers — Import value, annual growth rate 6.77 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in China?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in China was 40.17 in 2019, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 68.21 in 2013.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.17 in 2019.
- How does China rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- China ranks 30th out of 216 countries with data for 2019.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from 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 — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).