Exposure to outdoor air pollution in South Korea
South Korea: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 21 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in South Korea, 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
In 2024, exposure to outdoor air pollution in South Korea stood at 21 µg/m³.
The figure is up 13.5% on the previous year and down 13.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in South Korea peaked at 25.5 µg/m³ in 2016 and was at its lowest, 17.1 µg/m³, in 1999.
South Korea ranks 77th of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.35 µg/m³ | 17.1 µg/m³ | 17.6 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.86 µg/m³ | 18.9 µg/m³ | 24.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6 µg/m³ | 19.9 µg/m³ | 25.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.7 µg/m³ | 17.5 µg/m³ | 21 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 668.25 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 12.91 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 21.02 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.3304 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 3.86 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1549 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 44.74 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.2523 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.2291 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 18.6 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in South Korea?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in South Korea was 21 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 25.5 µg/m³ in 2016.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.1 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does South Korea rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- South Korea ranks 77th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Korea 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.