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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in South Korea, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 17.6 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 17.1 µg/m³ | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 21.1 µg/m³ | +23.4% |
| 2001 | 20.7 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 18.9 µg/m³ | -8.7% |
| 2003 | 24.9 µg/m³ | +31.7% |
| 2004 | 20.7 µg/m³ | -16.9% |
| 2005 | 21.3 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 23.5 µg/m³ | +10.3% |
| 2007 | 22.8 µg/m³ | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 22.9 µg/m³ | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 21.8 µg/m³ | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 19.9 µg/m³ | -8.7% |
| 2011 | 20.3 µg/m³ | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 20.8 µg/m³ | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 22.9 µg/m³ | +10.1% |
| 2014 | 24.2 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 24.6 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 25.5 µg/m³ | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 23.7 µg/m³ | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 21.9 µg/m³ | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 22.2 µg/m³ | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 18.8 µg/m³ | -15.3% |
| 2021 | 17.7 µg/m³ | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 17.5 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 18.5 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2024 | 21 µg/m³ | +13.5% |
South Korea compared with similar countries
- South Korea's 21 µg/m³ is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 2.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- South Korea's 21 µg/m³ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 2.4× the median. (37 countries reporting)
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 (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2791 % 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 -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.2415 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.61 % change on previous year (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.