Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ireland
Ireland: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 7.4 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ireland, 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
Ireland recorded 7.4 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ireland peaked at 10 µg/m³ in 2003 and was at its lowest, 6.9 µg/m³, in 2017.
Ireland ranks 190th of 241 regions on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.8 µg/m³ | 8.5 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 8.45 µg/m³ | 7.4 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.95 µg/m³ | 6.9 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.44 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | 7.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 187 Antigua and Barbuda 7.8 µg/m³ compare
- 188 Montserrat 7.6 µg/m³ compare
- 189 United States 7.5 µg/m³ compare
- 190 Guernsey 7.4 µg/m³ compare
- 192 Puerto Rico 7.3 µg/m³ compare
- 193 Canada 7 µg/m³ compare
- 193 New Zealand 7 µg/m³ compare
- 193 Solomon Islands 7 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Ireland
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 59.68 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 11.06 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 15.58 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.0879 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 1.23 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0115 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 18.11 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0209 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0087 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.16 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ireland?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Ireland was 7.4 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 10 µg/m³ in 2003.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.9 µg/m³ in 2017.
- How does Ireland rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Ireland ranks 190th out of 241 regions with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.