Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Germany
Germany: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 8.54 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Germany, 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 Germany stood at 8.54 micrograms per cubic meter.
That represents a change of up 7.2% on the previous year and down 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Germany peaked at 15.67 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7.97 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2023.
Germany ranks 146th 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 | 15.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.73 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.97 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 143 Netherlands 8.93 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 144 Dominican Republic 8.71 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 145 Gibraltar 8.7 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 147 Belgium 8.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 148 Brunei 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 149 Somalia 8.4 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Germany
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 674.36 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 8.07 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 33.97 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 2.87 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 9.52 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.2198 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 55.51 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.3905 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1987 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 8.1 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Germany?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Germany was 8.54 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 15.67 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.97 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- How does Germany rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Germany ranks 146th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.