Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Benin
Benin: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 35.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Benin, 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 Benin is 35.3 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 5.1% on the previous year and up 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Benin peaked at 40.9 µg/m³ in 2008 and was at its lowest, 29.1 µg/m³, in 1999.
That places Benin 28th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Benin, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 33.5 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 29.1 µg/m³ | -13.1% |
| 2000 | 35 µg/m³ | +20.3% |
| 2001 | 32.7 µg/m³ | -6.6% |
| 2002 | 35.6 µg/m³ | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 32.4 µg/m³ | -9.0% |
| 2004 | 36.4 µg/m³ | +12.3% |
| 2005 | 36.8 µg/m³ | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 35.1 µg/m³ | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 38.7 µg/m³ | +10.3% |
| 2008 | 40.9 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 34.6 µg/m³ | -15.4% |
| 2010 | 34.3 µg/m³ | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 35.8 µg/m³ | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 33.7 µg/m³ | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 32.4 µg/m³ | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 31.5 µg/m³ | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 39.2 µg/m³ | +24.4% |
| 2016 | 36.6 µg/m³ | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 37.2 µg/m³ | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 33.6 µg/m³ | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 33.4 µg/m³ | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 33.9 µg/m³ | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 34.2 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 35.6 µg/m³ | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 33.6 µg/m³ | -5.6% |
| 2024 | 35.3 µg/m³ | +5.1% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 35.3 µg/m³ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Benin's 35.3 µg/m³ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 31.3 µg/m³ | 29.1 µg/m³ | 33.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 35.82 µg/m³ | 32.4 µg/m³ | 40.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.77 µg/m³ | 31.5 µg/m³ | 39.2 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 34.52 µg/m³ | 33.6 µg/m³ | 35.6 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 25 Senegal 36.5 µg/m³ compare
- 26 Gambia 35.7 µg/m³ compare
- 27 Equatorial Guinea 35.4 µg/m³ compare
- 29 Mauritania 35.2 µg/m³ compare
- 30 Yemen 35 µg/m³ compare
- 31 Burkina Faso 34.6 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Benin
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -9.6 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.11 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.268 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.29 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.38 % 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 2.92 % 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 Benin?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Benin was 35.3 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 40.9 µg/m³ in 2008.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.1 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Benin rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Benin ranks 28th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Benin 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.