Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Germany
Germany: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 9.1 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Germany, 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
Germany recorded 9.1 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
That represents a change of up 7.1% on the previous year and down 32.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Germany peaked at 16.5 µg/m³ in 1998 and was at its lowest, 8.5 µg/m³, in 2023.
That places Germany 176th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.5 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 15.4 µg/m³ | -6.7% |
| 2000 | 14.9 µg/m³ | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 14.7 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 15.8 µg/m³ | +7.5% |
| 2003 | 16.3 µg/m³ | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 14.7 µg/m³ | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 14.8 µg/m³ | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 16.1 µg/m³ | +8.8% |
| 2007 | 13.5 µg/m³ | -16.1% |
| 2008 | 13.9 µg/m³ | +3.0% |
| 2009 | 14.9 µg/m³ | +7.2% |
| 2010 | 15.5 µg/m³ | +4.0% |
| 2011 | 15.3 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 13 µg/m³ | -15.0% |
| 2013 | 13.5 µg/m³ | +3.8% |
| 2014 | 13.5 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12.1 µg/m³ | -10.4% |
| 2016 | 11.8 µg/m³ | -2.5% |
| 2017 | 11.8 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12.3 µg/m³ | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 10.1 µg/m³ | -17.9% |
| 2020 | 8.8 µg/m³ | -12.9% |
| 2021 | 9.4 µg/m³ | +6.8% |
| 2022 | 9.3 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 8.5 µg/m³ | -8.6% |
| 2024 | 9.1 µg/m³ | +7.1% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 9.1 µg/m³ is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 88% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Germany's 9.1 µg/m³ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8 µg/m³, 71% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.95 µg/m³ | 15.4 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.96 µg/m³ | 13.5 µg/m³ | 16.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.89 µg/m³ | 10.1 µg/m³ | 15.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.02 µg/m³ | 8.5 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 173 Netherlands 9.6 µg/m³ compare
- 174 Belgium 9.3 µg/m³ compare
- 174 Guadeloupe 9.3 µg/m³ compare
- 176 Dominica 9.1 µg/m³ compare
- 178 Denmark 9 µg/m³ compare
- 178 Switzerland 9 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Germany
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.12 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.36 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.613 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.11 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.65 % 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 -0.0079 % 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 Germany?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Germany was 9.1 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 16.5 µg/m³ in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.5 µg/m³ in 2023.
- How does Germany rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Germany ranks 176th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.