Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Botswana
Botswana: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Botswana, 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
Botswana recorded 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 30.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Botswana peaked at 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.77 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
Botswana ranks 85th of 240 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Botswana, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 13.56 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 13.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 12.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 13.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.7% |
| 2002 | 13.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 13.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 12.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 14.73 micrograms per cubic meter | +18.5% |
| 2006 | 11.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -24.4% |
| 2007 | 13.17 micrograms per cubic meter | +18.3% |
| 2008 | 14.54 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.4% |
| 2009 | 12.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.9% |
| 2010 | 15.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.3% |
| 2011 | 12.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -20.1% |
| 2012 | 14.38 micrograms per cubic meter | +19.7% |
| 2013 | 13.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 2014 | 12.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2015 | 14.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.0% |
| 2016 | 12.5 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.3% |
| 2017 | 12.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 13.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.8% |
| 2019 | 12.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.7% |
| 2020 | 10.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.9% |
| 2021 | 12.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.5% |
| 2022 | 13.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.9% |
| 2023 | 15.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.3% |
| 2024 | 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.28 micrograms per cubic meter, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.56 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.73 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
- 82 Costa Rica 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 83 Serbia 16.13 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 84 Burkina Faso 15.97 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 86 Montenegro 15.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 87 Jamaica 15.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 88 Niger 15.28 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Botswana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 6.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 6.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.381 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.443 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -4.05 % 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 0.3323 % 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 Botswana?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Botswana was 15.93 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 Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.77 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Botswana rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Botswana ranks 85th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Botswana 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.