Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Zambia
Zambia: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Zambia, 2010–2023
Source: World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in 2023. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Zambia peaked at 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 and was at its lowest, 15.63 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2010.
That places Zambia 99th out of 226 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Zambia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.63 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 2011 | 15.88 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 15.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 15.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 16.19 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 16.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 15.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 15.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 15.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 15.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 16.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 16.53 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 15.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 97 Philippines 16.9 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 98 Mexico 16.71 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 100 Turkmenistan 16.47 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 101 Paraguay 16.4 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 102 Costa Rica 15.62 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Zambia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.03 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.11 °C (2025)
- Paper and paperboard — Import quantity, annual growth rate -3.97 % 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 0.0033 t per person (2024)
- Paper and paperboard — Import value, annual growth rate -9.88 % 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 Zambia?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Zambia was 16.57 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.63 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- How does Zambia rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- Zambia ranks 99th out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zambia 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).