Exposure to outdoor air pollution in China
China: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 31.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in China, 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
In 2024, exposure to outdoor air pollution in China stood at 31.3 µg/m³.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and down 40.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in China peaked at 52.2 µg/m³ in 2014 and was at its lowest, 28.1 µg/m³, in 1999.
China ranks 39th of 241 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in China, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 29.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 28.1 µg/m³ | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 33.4 µg/m³ | +18.9% |
| 2001 | 34.9 µg/m³ | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 37.2 µg/m³ | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 41.6 µg/m³ | +11.8% |
| 2004 | 40.6 µg/m³ | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 43.5 µg/m³ | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 46.9 µg/m³ | +7.8% |
| 2007 | 47.7 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 46.7 µg/m³ | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 45 µg/m³ | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 44.4 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 49 µg/m³ | +10.4% |
| 2012 | 45.5 µg/m³ | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 48.1 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 52.2 µg/m³ | +8.5% |
| 2015 | 49.6 µg/m³ | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 45.4 µg/m³ | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 43 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 38.3 µg/m³ | -10.9% |
| 2019 | 37 µg/m³ | -3.4% |
| 2020 | 33.2 µg/m³ | -10.3% |
| 2021 | 31.1 µg/m³ | -6.3% |
| 2022 | 31 µg/m³ | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 32.2 µg/m³ | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 31.3 µg/m³ | -2.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 31.3 µg/m³ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 1.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 31.3 µg/m³ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 3.5× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.75 µg/m³ | 28.1 µg/m³ | 29.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 41.75 µg/m³ | 33.4 µg/m³ | 47.7 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.25 µg/m³ | 37 µg/m³ | 52.2 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.76 µg/m³ | 31 µg/m³ | 33.2 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8065 % 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 -0.2517 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9037 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in China?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in China was 31.3 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 52.2 µg/m³ in 2014.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.1 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does China rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- China ranks 39th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this China 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.