Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belgium
Belgium: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 9.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belgium, 1998–2024
Source: SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in µg/m³.
Analysis
The most recent figure for exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belgium is 9.3 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 5.7% on the previous year and down 27.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belgium peaked at 17.2 µg/m³ in 2007 and was at its lowest, 8.8 µg/m³, in 2023.
Belgium ranks 174th of 241 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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belgium, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.3 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 15.1 µg/m³ | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 14.9 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 14.2 µg/m³ | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 14.5 µg/m³ | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 17 µg/m³ | +17.2% |
| 2004 | 14.8 µg/m³ | -12.9% |
| 2005 | 14.1 µg/m³ | -4.7% |
| 2006 | 16 µg/m³ | +13.5% |
| 2007 | 17.2 µg/m³ | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 16.3 µg/m³ | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 17 µg/m³ | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 16.5 µg/m³ | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 16.3 µg/m³ | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 14.7 µg/m³ | -9.8% |
| 2013 | 15.5 µg/m³ | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 12.9 µg/m³ | -16.8% |
| 2015 | 12.4 µg/m³ | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 12.1 µg/m³ | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 11.7 µg/m³ | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 12.1 µg/m³ | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 10.4 µg/m³ | -14.0% |
| 2020 | 8.9 µg/m³ | -14.4% |
| 2021 | 10.3 µg/m³ | +15.7% |
| 2022 | 9.9 µg/m³ | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 8.8 µg/m³ | -11.1% |
| 2024 | 9.3 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 9.3 µg/m³ is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 90% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 9.3 µg/m³ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8 µg/m³, 73% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.7 µg/m³ | 15.1 µg/m³ | 16.3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.6 µg/m³ | 14.1 µg/m³ | 17.2 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.46 µg/m³ | 10.4 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.44 µg/m³ | 8.8 µg/m³ | 10.3 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 171 Mayotte 9.8 µg/m³ compare
- 172 Falkland Islands 9.7 µg/m³ compare
- 173 Netherlands 9.6 µg/m³ compare
- 174 Guadeloupe 9.3 µg/m³ compare
- 176 Dominica 9.1 µg/m³ compare
- 176 Germany 9.1 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Belgium
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.574 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.19 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.5577 % 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 0.0605 % 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 outdoor air pollution in Belgium?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belgium was 9.3 µg/m³ in 2024, according to SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 17.2 µg/m³ in 2007.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8 µg/m³ in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Belgium ranks 174th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to outdoor air pollution. 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.