Outdoor air pollution exposure in Belgium
Belgium: Outdoor air pollution exposure was 9.3 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
9.3
Change on year
up 5.7%
World rank
174th
of 241 countries
All-time high
17.2
in 2007
All-time low
8.8
in 2023
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Outdoor air pollution exposure in Belgium, 1998–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for outdoor air pollution exposure in Belgium is 9.3, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 5.7% on the previous year and down 27.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, outdoor air pollution exposure in Belgium peaked at 17.2 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 8.8, 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.
Outdoor air pollution exposure in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.3 | — |
| 1999 | 15.1 | -7.4% |
| 2000 | 14.9 | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 14.2 | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 14.5 | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 17 | +17.2% |
| 2004 | 14.8 | -12.9% |
| 2005 | 14.1 | -4.7% |
| 2006 | 16 | +13.5% |
| 2007 | 17.2 | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 16.3 | -5.2% |
| 2009 | 17 | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 16.5 | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 16.3 | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 14.7 | -9.8% |
| 2013 | 15.5 | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 12.9 | -16.8% |
| 2015 | 12.4 | -3.9% |
| 2016 | 12.1 | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 11.7 | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 12.1 | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 10.4 | -14.0% |
| 2020 | 8.9 | -14.4% |
| 2021 | 10.3 | +15.7% |
| 2022 | 9.9 | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 8.8 | -11.1% |
| 2024 | 9.3 | +5.7% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 9.3 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3, 90% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 9.3 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8, 73% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.7 | 15.1 | 16.3 | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.6 | 14.1 | 17.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.46 | 10.4 | 16.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.44 | 8.8 | 10.3 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 171 Mayotte 9.8 compare
- 172 Falkland Islands 9.7 compare
- 173 Netherlands 9.6 compare
- 174 Guadeloupe 9.3 compare
- 176 Dominica 9.1 compare
- 176 Germany 9.1 compare
More environment data for Belgium
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2024)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0 hectares per person (2025)
- 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)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 0 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate -7.41 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is outdoor air pollution exposure in Belgium?
- Outdoor air pollution exposure in Belgium was 9.3 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 17.2 in 2007.
- What is the lowest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8 in 2023.
- How does Belgium rank for outdoor air pollution exposure?
- Belgium ranks 174th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is outdoor air pollution exposure 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Outdoor air pollution exposure. 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).