Exposure to outdoor air pollution in France
France: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 8.9 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in France, 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 France is 8.9 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 5.3% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in France peaked at 15.3 µg/m³ in 1998 and was at its lowest, 8.7 µg/m³, 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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in France, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 15.3 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 14.5 µg/m³ | -5.2% |
| 2000 | 13.9 µg/m³ | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 14.8 µg/m³ | +6.5% |
| 2002 | 14 µg/m³ | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 15 µg/m³ | +7.1% |
| 2004 | 13.1 µg/m³ | -12.7% |
| 2005 | 12.9 µg/m³ | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 13.4 µg/m³ | +3.9% |
| 2007 | 13.6 µg/m³ | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 13.1 µg/m³ | -3.7% |
| 2009 | 14.6 µg/m³ | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 14.6 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 15.1 µg/m³ | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 13.7 µg/m³ | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 14.1 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 11.6 µg/m³ | -17.7% |
| 2015 | 12 µg/m³ | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 11.1 µg/m³ | -7.5% |
| 2017 | 10.7 µg/m³ | -3.6% |
| 2018 | 10.7 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9.6 µg/m³ | -10.3% |
| 2020 | 8.7 µg/m³ | -9.4% |
| 2021 | 9.7 µg/m³ | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 10.1 µg/m³ | +4.1% |
| 2023 | 9.4 µg/m³ | -6.9% |
| 2024 | 8.9 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 8.9 µg/m³ is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 86% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- France's 8.9 µg/m³ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8 µg/m³, 70% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.9 µg/m³ | 14.5 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.84 µg/m³ | 12.9 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.32 µg/m³ | 9.6 µg/m³ | 15.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.36 µg/m³ | 8.7 µg/m³ | 10.1 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near France
- 178 Denmark 9 µg/m³ compare
- 178 Switzerland 9 µg/m³ compare
- 180 Brunei 8.9 µg/m³ compare
- 182 United Kingdom 8.8 µg/m³ compare
- 183 Andorra 8.7 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for France
- 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)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.23 % 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 -0.1777 % 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 France?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in France was 8.9 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 15.3 µg/m³ in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7 µg/m³ in 2020.
- How does France rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- France ranks 180th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution 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 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.