Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran
Iran: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 37.7 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran, 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 Iran is 37.7 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran peaked at 39.8 µg/m³ in 2009 and was at its lowest, 27.4 µg/m³, in 1998.
That places Iran 23rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 27.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 28.5 µg/m³ | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 35.1 µg/m³ | +23.2% |
| 2001 | 35.2 µg/m³ | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 35 µg/m³ | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 36.5 µg/m³ | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 35.7 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 35.2 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 36.1 µg/m³ | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 37 µg/m³ | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 38.8 µg/m³ | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 39.8 µg/m³ | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 39.6 µg/m³ | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 39.3 µg/m³ | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 37.1 µg/m³ | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 36.3 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 36.1 µg/m³ | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 36.1 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 35.3 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 36 µg/m³ | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 36.7 µg/m³ | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 35.8 µg/m³ | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 34.8 µg/m³ | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 35.6 µg/m³ | +2.3% |
| 2022 | 37.6 µg/m³ | +5.6% |
| 2023 | 37.1 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 37.7 µg/m³ | +1.6% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 37.7 µg/m³ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 2.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 37.7 µg/m³ is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.1 µg/m³, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.95 µg/m³ | 27.4 µg/m³ | 28.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 36.44 µg/m³ | 35 µg/m³ | 39.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.83 µg/m³ | 35.3 µg/m³ | 39.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.56 µg/m³ | 34.8 µg/m³ | 37.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran
More environment data for Iran
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -30.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -21.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.4 % 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 1.9 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.0807 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran was 37.7 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 39.8 µg/m³ in 2009.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.4 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Iran rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Iran ranks 23rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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.