Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kuwait
Kuwait: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 57.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kuwait, 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 Kuwait stood at 57.3 µg/m³.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kuwait peaked at 69 µg/m³ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 44 µg/m³, in 1998.
Kuwait ranks 3rd of 241 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 44 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 51.9 µg/m³ | +18.0% |
| 2000 | 56.7 µg/m³ | +9.2% |
| 2001 | 51.5 µg/m³ | -9.2% |
| 2002 | 53.5 µg/m³ | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 57.9 µg/m³ | +8.2% |
| 2004 | 53.6 µg/m³ | -7.4% |
| 2005 | 55.4 µg/m³ | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 55.9 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 56.4 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 61 µg/m³ | +8.2% |
| 2009 | 64.8 µg/m³ | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 62.3 µg/m³ | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 61.7 µg/m³ | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 61.7 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 57.9 µg/m³ | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 56.3 µg/m³ | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 60 µg/m³ | +6.6% |
| 2016 | 55.2 µg/m³ | -8.0% |
| 2017 | 60.2 µg/m³ | +9.1% |
| 2018 | 67.5 µg/m³ | +12.1% |
| 2019 | 62 µg/m³ | -8.1% |
| 2020 | 60.2 µg/m³ | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 62.7 µg/m³ | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 69 µg/m³ | +10.0% |
| 2023 | 58.4 µg/m³ | -15.4% |
| 2024 | 57.3 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 57.3 µg/m³ is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 5.6× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 57.3 µg/m³ is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.1 µg/m³, 1.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.95 µg/m³ | 44 µg/m³ | 51.9 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 56.67 µg/m³ | 51.5 µg/m³ | 64.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.48 µg/m³ | 55.2 µg/m³ | 67.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 61.52 µg/m³ | 57.3 µg/m³ | 69 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
- 1 Qatar 75.5 µg/m³ compare
- 2 Bangladesh 65 µg/m³ compare
- 4 United Arab Emirates 55.7 µg/m³ compare
- 5 Pakistan 53.8 µg/m³ compare
- 6 Cameroon 51.5 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Kuwait
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -57.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -61.88 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.516 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.95 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.24 % 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 1.84 % 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 Kuwait?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kuwait was 57.3 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 69 µg/m³ in 2022.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 44 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Kuwait rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Kuwait ranks 3rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait 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.