Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kenya
Kenya: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 22 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kenya, 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
Kenya recorded 22 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
The figure is up 19.6% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kenya peaked at 22.9 µg/m³ in 2001 and was at its lowest, 10.2 µg/m³, in 1999.
That places Kenya 72nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kenya, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12.1 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 10.2 µg/m³ | -15.7% |
| 2000 | 21.2 µg/m³ | +107.8% |
| 2001 | 22.9 µg/m³ | +8.0% |
| 2002 | 19.2 µg/m³ | -16.2% |
| 2003 | 20.3 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 19 µg/m³ | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 18.5 µg/m³ | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 18.9 µg/m³ | +2.2% |
| 2007 | 21.4 µg/m³ | +13.2% |
| 2008 | 20.1 µg/m³ | -6.1% |
| 2009 | 19.8 µg/m³ | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 21.4 µg/m³ | +8.1% |
| 2011 | 21.4 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 21.9 µg/m³ | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 21.8 µg/m³ | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 19.6 µg/m³ | -10.1% |
| 2015 | 19.6 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 19.9 µg/m³ | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 19 µg/m³ | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 20.1 µg/m³ | +5.8% |
| 2019 | 19.8 µg/m³ | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 21.7 µg/m³ | +9.6% |
| 2021 | 20.6 µg/m³ | -5.1% |
| 2022 | 20.5 µg/m³ | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 18.4 µg/m³ | -10.2% |
| 2024 | 22 µg/m³ | +19.6% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 22 µg/m³ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 89% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 22 µg/m³ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kenya changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +107.8% | 10.2 µg/m³ | 21.2 µg/m³ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.15 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 12.1 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.13 µg/m³ | 18.5 µg/m³ | 22.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.45 µg/m³ | 19 µg/m³ | 21.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.64 µg/m³ | 18.4 µg/m³ | 22 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % 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 Kenya?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kenya was 22 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 22.9 µg/m³ in 2001.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.2 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Kenya rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Kenya ranks 72nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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.