Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Botswana
Botswana: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 16.7 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Botswana, 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 Botswana is 16.7 µg/m³, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 31.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Botswana peaked at 16.7 µg/m³ in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.4 µg/m³, in 2020.
That places Botswana 106th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Botswana, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 14.9 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 14.6 µg/m³ | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 13.6 µg/m³ | -6.8% |
| 2001 | 14.7 µg/m³ | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 14.5 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 14.2 µg/m³ | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 13.2 µg/m³ | -7.0% |
| 2005 | 15.7 µg/m³ | +18.9% |
| 2006 | 11.8 µg/m³ | -24.8% |
| 2007 | 14.1 µg/m³ | +19.5% |
| 2008 | 15.4 µg/m³ | +9.2% |
| 2009 | 13.6 µg/m³ | -11.7% |
| 2010 | 15.9 µg/m³ | +16.9% |
| 2011 | 12.9 µg/m³ | -18.9% |
| 2012 | 15.2 µg/m³ | +17.8% |
| 2013 | 14.4 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2014 | 12.7 µg/m³ | -11.8% |
| 2015 | 14.8 µg/m³ | +16.5% |
| 2016 | 13.1 µg/m³ | -11.5% |
| 2017 | 13.3 µg/m³ | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 14.2 µg/m³ | +6.8% |
| 2019 | 13.4 µg/m³ | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 11.4 µg/m³ | -14.9% |
| 2021 | 12.7 µg/m³ | +11.4% |
| 2022 | 14 µg/m³ | +10.2% |
| 2023 | 15.9 µg/m³ | +13.6% |
| 2024 | 16.7 µg/m³ | +5.0% |
Botswana compared with similar countries
- Botswana's 16.7 µg/m³ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 97% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Botswana's 16.7 µg/m³ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 66% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.75 µg/m³ | 14.6 µg/m³ | 14.9 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.08 µg/m³ | 11.8 µg/m³ | 15.7 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.99 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | 15.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.14 µg/m³ | 11.4 µg/m³ | 16.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Botswana
More environment data for Botswana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 6.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 6.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.381 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.443 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -4.05 % 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 0.3323 % 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 Botswana?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Botswana was 16.7 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 Botswana?
- The highest recorded value was 16.7 µg/m³ in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Botswana?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.4 µg/m³ in 2020.
- How does Botswana rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Botswana ranks 106th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Botswana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Botswana 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.