Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Laos
Laos: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 27 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Laos, 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 Laos stood at 27 µg/m³.
The figure is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Laos peaked at 30.3 µg/m³ in 2007 and was at its lowest, 21.2 µg/m³, in 1999.
Laos ranks 53rd of 241 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Laos, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 25.9 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 21.2 µg/m³ | -18.1% |
| 2000 | 22.9 µg/m³ | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 22.1 µg/m³ | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 22.2 µg/m³ | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 21.9 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 28.5 µg/m³ | +30.1% |
| 2005 | 27.5 µg/m³ | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 24.9 µg/m³ | -9.5% |
| 2007 | 30.3 µg/m³ | +21.7% |
| 2008 | 24.8 µg/m³ | -18.2% |
| 2009 | 25.5 µg/m³ | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 28.8 µg/m³ | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 25 µg/m³ | -13.2% |
| 2012 | 25.6 µg/m³ | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 27.8 µg/m³ | +8.6% |
| 2014 | 28.9 µg/m³ | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 24.7 µg/m³ | -14.5% |
| 2016 | 28.3 µg/m³ | +14.6% |
| 2017 | 24.9 µg/m³ | -12.0% |
| 2018 | 25.1 µg/m³ | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 30 µg/m³ | +19.5% |
| 2020 | 28.7 µg/m³ | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 25.4 µg/m³ | -11.5% |
| 2022 | 23 µg/m³ | -9.4% |
| 2023 | 30.1 µg/m³ | +30.9% |
| 2024 | 27 µg/m³ | -10.3% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 27 µg/m³ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 27 µg/m³ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 3.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.55 µg/m³ | 21.2 µg/m³ | 25.9 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 25.06 µg/m³ | 21.9 µg/m³ | 30.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.91 µg/m³ | 24.7 µg/m³ | 30 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.84 µg/m³ | 23 µg/m³ | 30.1 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More environment data for Laos
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.77 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9142 % 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 0.4183 % 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 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Laos?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Laos was 27 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 30.3 µg/m³ in 2007.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.2 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Laos rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Laos ranks 53rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Laos 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.