Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Pakistan
Pakistan: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Pakistan, 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 Pakistan stood at 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 29.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Pakistan peaked at 65.83 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016 and was at its lowest, 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2023.
That places Pakistan 16th 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 Pakistan, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63.16 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 2011 | 57.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.2% |
| 2012 | 58.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 61.39 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 61.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 60.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 65.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.0% |
| 2017 | 60.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.7% |
| 2018 | 58.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 49.2 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.5% |
| 2020 | 43.34 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.9% |
| 2021 | 47.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2022 | 44.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.8% |
| 2023 | 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 59.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 49.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 65.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 47.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 13 Senegal 44.73 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 14 Bangladesh 43.87 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 15 Ghana 43.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 16 India 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 18 Gambia 40.91 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 19 Mongolia 40.88 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Pakistan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -10.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.373 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate -0.9117 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 t per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, per capita 0.0016 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate 7.56 % change on previous year (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, per unit of GDP 0 1000 USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Pakistan?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Pakistan was 43.1 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 65.83 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- How does Pakistan rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- Pakistan ranks 16th out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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).