Outdoor air pollution exposure in Laos
Laos: Outdoor air pollution exposure was 27 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
27
Change on year
down 10.3%
World rank
53rd
of 241 countries
All-time high
30.3
in 2007
All-time low
21.2
in 1999
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Outdoor air pollution exposure in Laos, 1998–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, outdoor air pollution exposure in Laos stood at 27.
The figure is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, outdoor air pollution exposure in Laos peaked at 30.3 in 2007 and was at its lowest, 21.2, 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.
Outdoor air pollution exposure in Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 25.9 | — |
| 1999 | 21.2 | -18.1% |
| 2000 | 22.9 | +8.0% |
| 2001 | 22.1 | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 22.2 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 21.9 | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 28.5 | +30.1% |
| 2005 | 27.5 | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 24.9 | -9.5% |
| 2007 | 30.3 | +21.7% |
| 2008 | 24.8 | -18.2% |
| 2009 | 25.5 | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 28.8 | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 25 | -13.2% |
| 2012 | 25.6 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 27.8 | +8.6% |
| 2014 | 28.9 | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 24.7 | -14.5% |
| 2016 | 28.3 | +14.6% |
| 2017 | 24.9 | -12.0% |
| 2018 | 25.1 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 30 | +19.5% |
| 2020 | 28.7 | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 25.4 | -11.5% |
| 2022 | 23 | -9.4% |
| 2023 | 30.1 | +30.9% |
| 2024 | 27 | -10.3% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 27 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 27 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9, 3.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.55 | 21.2 | 25.9 | 2 |
| 2000s | 25.06 | 21.9 | 30.3 | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.91 | 24.7 | 30 | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.84 | 23 | 30.1 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More environment data for Laos
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0.086 hectares per person (2025)
- 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)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 2.93 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is outdoor air pollution exposure in Laos?
- Outdoor air pollution exposure in Laos was 27 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 30.3 in 2007.
- What is the lowest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.2 in 1999.
- How does Laos rank for outdoor air pollution exposure?
- Laos ranks 53rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is outdoor air pollution exposure 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Outdoor air pollution exposure. 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).