Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belarus
Belarus: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 11.58 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belarus, 1998–2024
Source: Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2024, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belarus stood at 11.58 micrograms per cubic meter.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and down 27.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belarus peaked at 20.55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2002 and was at its lowest, 10.15 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
That places Belarus 121st out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belarus, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 17.98 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 18.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 16.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 16.87 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 20.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.8% |
| 2003 | 16.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -21.4% |
| 2004 | 16.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 16.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 16.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 15.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.7% |
| 2008 | 16.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 18.12 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 19.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.0% |
| 2011 | 17.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.3% |
| 2012 | 15.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.9% |
| 2013 | 14.35 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 16.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.7% |
| 2015 | 13.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.0% |
| 2016 | 11.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.2% |
| 2017 | 12.32 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 11.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 11.64 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 10.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 11.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.0% |
| 2022 | 10.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.2% |
| 2023 | 11.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.9% |
| 2024 | 11.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
Belarus compared with similar countries
- Belarus's 11.58 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 74% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Belarus's 11.58 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.25 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 17.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belarus
- 118 Latvia 11.85 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 119 Ukraine 11.82 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 120 Tunisia 11.61 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 122 Slovenia 11.51 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 123 Cayman Islands 11.33 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 124 San Marino 11.27 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Belarus
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.1734 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.1993 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.869 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.57 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 0.239 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belarus?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belarus was 11.58 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024, according to Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Belarus?
- The highest recorded value was 20.55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2002.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Belarus?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does Belarus rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Belarus ranks 121st out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Belarus?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belarus data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to air pollution from human sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can pose significant health risks. This data excludes natural sources of PM2.5, such as dust and sea salt, to focus on human-caused pollution.