Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Lesotho
Lesotho: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 22.55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Lesotho, 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
Lesotho recorded 22.55 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.5% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Lesotho peaked at 27.47 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022 and was at its lowest, 16.09 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
Lesotho ranks 47th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 22.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 44 Yemen 24.32 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 45 Bosnia and Herzegovina 23.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 46 Turkey 22.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 48 Tanzania 22.37 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 49 Togo 22.34 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 50 Thailand 22.09 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Lesotho
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 3.06 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.31 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 0.7882 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.2847 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.3356 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0003 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 1.6 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0002 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0038 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 0.1865 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Lesotho?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Lesotho was 22.55 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 27.47 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.09 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Lesotho rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Lesotho ranks 47th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.