Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ghana
Ghana: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 28.2 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ghana, 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
Ghana recorded 28.2 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
That represents a change of up 5.2% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ghana peaked at 33.2 µg/m³ in 2008 and was at its lowest, 21.3 µg/m³, in 1999.
Ghana ranks 50th of 241 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ghana, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 24.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 21.3 µg/m³ | -12.7% |
| 2000 | 28.9 µg/m³ | +35.7% |
| 2001 | 25.8 µg/m³ | -10.7% |
| 2002 | 28.2 µg/m³ | +9.3% |
| 2003 | 26.9 µg/m³ | -4.6% |
| 2004 | 29.6 µg/m³ | +10.0% |
| 2005 | 28.7 µg/m³ | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 27.1 µg/m³ | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 30.4 µg/m³ | +12.2% |
| 2008 | 33.2 µg/m³ | +9.2% |
| 2009 | 28 µg/m³ | -15.7% |
| 2010 | 26.8 µg/m³ | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 28.6 µg/m³ | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 26.1 µg/m³ | -8.7% |
| 2013 | 25.5 µg/m³ | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 24.6 µg/m³ | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 29.1 µg/m³ | +18.3% |
| 2016 | 28.7 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 28.5 µg/m³ | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 24.6 µg/m³ | -13.7% |
| 2019 | 25.6 µg/m³ | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 26.8 µg/m³ | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 26.6 µg/m³ | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 28.4 µg/m³ | +6.8% |
| 2023 | 26.8 µg/m³ | -5.6% |
| 2024 | 28.2 µg/m³ | +5.2% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 28.2 µg/m³ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 28.2 µg/m³ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22.85 µg/m³ | 21.3 µg/m³ | 24.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 28.68 µg/m³ | 25.8 µg/m³ | 33.2 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.81 µg/m³ | 24.6 µg/m³ | 29.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.36 µg/m³ | 26.6 µg/m³ | 28.4 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More environment data for Ghana
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -13.57 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -11.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.26 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.34 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.72 % 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 0.8796 % 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 Ghana?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ghana was 28.2 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 33.2 µg/m³ in 2008.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Ghana rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Ghana ranks 50th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ghana 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.