Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Zambia
Zambia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.6% on the previous year and up 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Zambia peaked at 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
Zambia ranks 42nd 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.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Zambia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12.85 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.9% |
| 2000 | 17.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +59.6% |
| 2001 | 22.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +31.2% |
| 2002 | 20.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.7% |
| 2003 | 19.66 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 19.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 21.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.0% |
| 2006 | 19.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.2% |
| 2007 | 21.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.8% |
| 2008 | 21.92 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 19.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.9% |
| 2010 | 21.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 21.77 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 21.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 20.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 21.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 19.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 18.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 19.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 19.99 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 18.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.8% |
| 2021 | 19.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 23.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +23.6% |
| 2023 | 23.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.6% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.28 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Zambia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +59.6% | 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.25 micrograms per cubic meter |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 39 Benin 24.56 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 40 Vietnam 24.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 41 Syria 24.51 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 43 Uzbekistan 24.34 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 44 Yemen 24.32 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 45 Bosnia and Herzegovina 23.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Zambia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.03 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.265 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.11 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.74 % 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 3.49 % 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 Zambia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Zambia was 24.37 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 24.37 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Zambia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Zambia ranks 42nd out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zambia 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.