Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Iran
Iran: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 33.05 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Iran, 2010–2023
Source: World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2023, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Iran stood at 33.05 micrograms per cubic meter.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.0% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Iran peaked at 34.42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022 and was at its lowest, 29.91 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2016.
Iran ranks 30th of 226 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Iran, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 30.93 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 2011 | 30.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 30.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 30.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 30.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 31.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 29.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 31.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2018 | 33.19 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.9% |
| 2019 | 31.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 31.66 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 33.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 34.42 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 33.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 31.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 27 United Arab Emirates 34.3 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 28 Dominican Republic 33.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 29 Togo 33.33 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 31 Liberia 32.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 32 Cote d'Ivoire 32.5 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 33 Tajikistan 32.17 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Iran
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -30.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -21.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -7.92 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.86 Percentage change (2024)
- Heating Degree Days 2,621 (2024)
- Cooling Degree Days 3,374 (2024)
- Total fisheries production 1.50 million metric tons (2024)
- Capture fisheries production 789,229 metric tons (2024)
- Aquaculture production 709,391 metric tons (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Waste 1.19 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Iran?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Iran was 33.05 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 34.42 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.91 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- How does Iran rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- Iran ranks 30th out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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).