Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2010–2023
Source: World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of down 9.3% on the previous year and down 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 13.2 micrograms per cubic meter in 2011 and was at its lowest, 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2023.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 181st of 226 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 12.62 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 2011 | 13.2 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.6% |
| 2012 | 11.92 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.7% |
| 2013 | 11.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 11.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 11.02 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 10.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.3% |
| 2017 | 9.78 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.2% |
| 2018 | 10.02 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 9.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 8.76 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.9% |
| 2021 | 8.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 8.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.9% |
| 2023 | 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 11.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 178 Switzerland 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 179 Bahamas 8.13 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 180 Mauritius 8.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 182 Guadeloupe 7.99 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 182 Jersey 7.99 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 184 British Virgin Islands 7.94 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.25 Percentage change (2025)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.35 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.22 Percentage change (2024)
- Heating Degree Days 5,420 (2024)
- Cooling Degree Days 28.37 (2024)
- Total fisheries production 981,329 metric tons (2024)
- Capture fisheries production 755,323 metric tons (2024)
- Aquaculture production 226,006 metric tons (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Waste 2.03 Mt CO2e (2024)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 8.04 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 13.2 micrograms per cubic meter in 2011.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 181st out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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).