Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 37.51 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Saudi Arabia, 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
Saudi Arabia recorded 37.51 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Saudi Arabia peaked at 41.91 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022 and was at its lowest, 26.1 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1998.
Saudi Arabia ranks 11th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 26.1 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 30.08 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.2% |
| 2000 | 30.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 27.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.7% |
| 2002 | 28.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.4% |
| 2003 | 29.99 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.0% |
| 2004 | 27.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 30.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.4% |
| 2006 | 33.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.5% |
| 2007 | 33.06 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 35.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 35.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 37.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 39.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 36.34 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 34.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 36.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 37.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 36.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 39.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.1% |
| 2018 | 38.86 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 39.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 36.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 39.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.1% |
| 2022 | 41.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.2% |
| 2023 | 37.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.2% |
| 2024 | 37.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 37.51 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 4.6× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 37.51 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 25.47 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.5× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 31.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 35.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 39.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 41.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
- 8 Cameroon 39.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 9 Burundi 39 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 10 Congo 37.57 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 12 Nepal 37.47 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 13 Uganda 36.27 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 14 Kuwait 35.89 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Saudi Arabia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -27.86 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.424 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.53 % 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 9.62 % 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 Saudi Arabia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Saudi Arabia was 37.51 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 41.91 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 11th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.
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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.