Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malawi
Malawi: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 19.94 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malawi, 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
The most recent figure for exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malawi is 19.94 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 7.5% on the previous year and up 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malawi peaked at 19.94 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.81 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
Malawi ranks 61st of 240 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 17.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.73 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 15 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 58 Kenya 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 59 Chile 20.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 59 Lebanon 20.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 62 South Korea 19.59 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 63 North Macedonia 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 64 Bulgaria 19.14 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Malawi
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 19.02 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.8785 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 5.42 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.7527 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 1.9 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0074 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 9.34 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0006 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0087 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.25 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malawi?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malawi was 19.94 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 19.94 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.81 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Malawi rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Malawi ranks 61st out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.