Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 41.2 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 Democratic Republic of Congo is 41.2 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 29.2% on the previous year and up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 43.4 µg/m³ in 2013 and was at its lowest, 25.3 µg/m³, in 1999.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 15th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.8 µg/m³ | 25.3 µg/m³ | 32.3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 35.2 µg/m³ | 31.2 µg/m³ | 37.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.15 µg/m³ | 34.9 µg/m³ | 43.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.8 µg/m³ | 31.9 µg/m³ | 41.2 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More environment data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 58.49 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.5353 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 3.5 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 7.67 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 17.49 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0166 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 42.16 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0035 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.024 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 13.45 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Democratic Republic of Congo was 41.2 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 43.4 µg/m³ in 2013.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.3 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 15th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.