Outdoor air pollution exposure in France
France: Outdoor air pollution exposure was 8.9 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
8.9
Change on year
down 5.3%
World rank
180th
of 241 countries
All-time high
15.3
in 1998
All-time low
8.7
in 2020
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Outdoor air pollution exposure in France, 1998–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for outdoor air pollution exposure in France is 8.9, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 5.3% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, outdoor air pollution exposure in France peaked at 15.3 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 8.7, in 2020.
France ranks 180th of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Outdoor air pollution exposure in France, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 15.3 | — |
| 1999 | 14.5 | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 13.9 | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 14.8 | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 14 | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 15 | +7.1% |
| 2004 | 13.1 | -12.7% |
| 2005 | 12.9 | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 13.4 | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 13.6 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 13.1 | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 14.6 | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 14.6 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 15.1 | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 13.7 | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 14.1 | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 11.6 | -17.7% |
| 2015 | 12 | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 11.1 | -7.5% |
| 2017 | 10.7 | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 10.7 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9.6 | -10.3% |
| 2020 | 8.7 | -9.4% |
| 2021 | 9.7 | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 10.1 | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 9.4 | -6.9% |
| 2024 | 8.9 | -5.3% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 8.9 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3, 86% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- France's 8.9 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8, 70% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.9 | 14.5 | 15.3 | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.84 | 12.9 | 15 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.32 | 9.6 | 15.1 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.36 | 8.7 | 10.1 | 5 |
Countries ranked near France
- 178 Denmark 9 compare
- 178 Switzerland 9 compare
- 180 Brunei 8.9 compare
- 182 United Kingdom 8.8 compare
- 183 Andorra 8.7 compare
More environment data for France
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate -3.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0.1124 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.427 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.31 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 14.82 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is outdoor air pollution exposure in France?
- Outdoor air pollution exposure in France was 8.9 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in France?
- The highest recorded value was 15.3 in 1998.
- What is the lowest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7 in 2020.
- How does France rank for outdoor air pollution exposure?
- France ranks 180th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is outdoor air pollution exposure rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Outdoor air pollution exposure. 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).