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.
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
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 102.84 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.82 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 50.02 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 3.41 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 7.97 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0511 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 64.93 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0034 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0653 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 3.4 Mt CO2e (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.