Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran

Iran: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 37.7 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
37.7 µg/m³
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
23rd
of 241 countries
All-time high
39.8 µg/m³
in 2009
All-time low
27.4 µg/m³
in 1998
Years of data
27
1998–2024

Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iran, 1998–2024

0102030401998201120241998: 27.4 µg/m³1999: 28.5 µg/m³2000: 35.1 µg/m³2001: 35.2 µg/m³2002: 35 µg/m³2003: 36.5 µg/m³2004: 35.7 µg/m³2005: 35.2 µg/m³2006: 36.1 µg/m³2007: 37 µg/m³2008: 38.8 µg/m³2009: 39.8 µg/m³2010: 39.6 µg/m³2011: 39.3 µg/m³2012: 37.1 µg/m³2013: 36.3 µg/m³2014: 36.1 µg/m³2015: 36.1 µg/m³2016: 35.3 µg/m³2017: 36 µg/m³2018: 36.7 µg/m³2019: 35.8 µg/m³2020: 34.8 µg/m³2021: 35.6 µg/m³2022: 37.6 µg/m³2023: 37.1 µg/m³2024: 37.7 µg/m³

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 20 Afghanistan 40 µg/m³ compare
  2. 21 Chad 39.2 µg/m³ compare
  3. 22 Mongolia 38.2 µg/m³ compare
  4. 24 Uganda 37.3 µg/m³ compare
  5. 25 Senegal 36.5 µg/m³ compare
  6. 26 Gambia 35.7 µg/m³ compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More environment data for Iran

All data for Iran →

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

Indicator
Exposure to outdoor air pollution
Unit
µg/m³
Source
SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
241 places, 6,507 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed

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.