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.
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
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 41.55 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.35 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 9.63 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.5411 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 1.65 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0059 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 12.32 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.005 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0081 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 0.4771 Mt CO2e (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.