Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 16 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kazakhstan, 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 Kazakhstan is 16 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kazakhstan peaked at 19.2 µg/m³ in 2008 and was at its lowest, 14.2 µg/m³, in 1998.
That places Kazakhstan 109th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kazakhstan, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 14.2 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 15.5 µg/m³ | +9.2% |
| 2000 | 15.3 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 15.9 µg/m³ | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 15.7 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 15.4 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 16 µg/m³ | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 15.4 µg/m³ | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 15.8 µg/m³ | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 17.9 µg/m³ | +13.3% |
| 2008 | 19.2 µg/m³ | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 17.9 µg/m³ | -6.8% |
| 2010 | 17.7 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 17.6 µg/m³ | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 16.3 µg/m³ | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 16.7 µg/m³ | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 16.2 µg/m³ | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 17.9 µg/m³ | +10.5% |
| 2016 | 16.4 µg/m³ | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 16.5 µg/m³ | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 14.8 µg/m³ | -10.3% |
| 2019 | 16.4 µg/m³ | +10.8% |
| 2020 | 15.4 µg/m³ | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 16.7 µg/m³ | +8.4% |
| 2022 | 14.7 µg/m³ | -12.0% |
| 2023 | 16.3 µg/m³ | +10.9% |
| 2024 | 16 µg/m³ | -1.8% |
Kazakhstan compared with similar countries
- Kazakhstan's 16 µg/m³ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 93% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Kazakhstan's 16 µg/m³ is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8 µg/m³, 1.2× the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.85 µg/m³ | 14.2 µg/m³ | 15.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 16.45 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ | 19.2 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.65 µg/m³ | 14.8 µg/m³ | 17.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.82 µg/m³ | 14.7 µg/m³ | 16.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kazakhstan
More environment data for Kazakhstan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.3 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.9617 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.801 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 3.29 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.08 % 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 1.11 % 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 Kazakhstan?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kazakhstan was 16 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 Kazakhstan?
- The highest recorded value was 19.2 µg/m³ in 2008.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Kazakhstan?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.2 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Kazakhstan rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Kazakhstan ranks 109th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Kazakhstan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Kazakhstan 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.