Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 20.2 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ethiopia, 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 Ethiopia is 20.2 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 8.0% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ethiopia peaked at 24.5 µg/m³ in 2017 and was at its lowest, 9.3 µg/m³, in 1998.
Ethiopia ranks 84th of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.4 µg/m³ | 9.3 µg/m³ | 9.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.1 µg/m³ | 19.3 µg/m³ | 22.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.15 µg/m³ | 21.3 µg/m³ | 24.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.94 µg/m³ | 18.7 µg/m³ | 22.5 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 81 Nicaragua 20.5 µg/m³ compare
- 82 Israel 20.4 µg/m³ compare
- 83 Costa Rica 20.3 µg/m³ compare
- 84 Cote d'Ivoire 20.2 µg/m³ compare
- 84 Sierra Leone 20.2 µg/m³ compare
- 84 Tunisia 20.2 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Ethiopia
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 192.7 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.46 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 87.11 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 12.61 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 18.3 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0131 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 131.63 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0409 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 13.56 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ethiopia?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ethiopia was 20.2 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5 µg/m³ in 2017.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Ethiopia rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Ethiopia ranks 84th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.