Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iraq
Iraq: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 48.8 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iraq, 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 Iraq is 48.8 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iraq peaked at 57.3 µg/m³ in 2010 and was at its lowest, 32.1 µg/m³, in 1998.
Iraq ranks 9th of 241 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.2 µg/m³ | 32.1 µg/m³ | 44.3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 46.34 µg/m³ | 40.9 µg/m³ | 55.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.98 µg/m³ | 43.4 µg/m³ | 57.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.1 µg/m³ | 45.3 µg/m³ | 55.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More environment data for Iraq
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 413.28 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 8.98 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 4.3 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.0366 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 145.34 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0141 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 163.16 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.1325 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1389 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 13.2 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iraq?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Iraq was 48.8 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 57.3 µg/m³ in 2010.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.1 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Iraq rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Iraq ranks 9th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iraq 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.