Exposure to air pollution from human sources in France
France: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in France, 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
France recorded 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.7% on the previous year and down 21.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in France peaked at 14.02 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7.49 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
France ranks 155th of 240 countries on this measure, 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 | 13.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near France
More environment data for France
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 378.12 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.52 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 42.25 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 2.45 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 3.31 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1015 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 66.98 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.1903 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1859 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 18.44 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in France?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in France was 7.84 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 14.02 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.49 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does France rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- France ranks 155th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France 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.