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.
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
- 172 Falkland Islands 9.7 µg/m³ compare
- 173 Netherlands 9.6 µg/m³ compare
- 176 Dominica 9.1 µg/m³ compare
- 176 Germany 9.1 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Belgium
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 107.82 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 9.09 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 6.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.2815 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 2.68 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0377 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 11.74 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0561 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0383 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.98 Mt CO2e (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.