Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belgium
Belgium: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 8.52 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belgium, 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
Belgium recorded 8.52 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
That represents a change of up 5.4% on the previous year and down 27.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belgium peaked at 16.05 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003 and was at its lowest, 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
That places Belgium 147th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 144 Dominican Republic 8.71 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 145 Gibraltar 8.7 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 146 Germany 8.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 148 Brunei 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 149 Somalia 8.4 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 150 Guyana 8.38 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Belgium
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 107.82 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 9.09 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 6.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.2815 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 2.68 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0377 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 11.74 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0561 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0383 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.98 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belgium?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Belgium was 8.52 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 Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 16.05 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Belgium rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Belgium ranks 147th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium 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.
Download this data
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.