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.
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
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 378.12 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.52 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 42.25 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 2.45 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 3.31 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1015 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 66.98 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.1903 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1859 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 18.44 Mt CO2e (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.