Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Lesotho
Lesotho: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 24.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Lesotho, 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 Lesotho stood at 24.5 µg/m³.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.4% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Lesotho peaked at 29.1 µg/m³ in 2022 and was at its lowest, 17.1 µg/m³, in 1999.
Lesotho ranks 63rd of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.2 µg/m³ | 17.1 µg/m³ | 17.3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 24.4 µg/m³ | 22.5 µg/m³ | 25.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.26 µg/m³ | 22.6 µg/m³ | 26.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.72 µg/m³ | 23.6 µg/m³ | 29.1 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More environment data for Lesotho
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 3.06 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.31 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 0.7882 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.2847 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.3356 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0003 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 1.6 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0002 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0038 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 0.1865 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Lesotho?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Lesotho was 24.5 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 29.1 µg/m³ in 2022.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.1 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Lesotho rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Lesotho ranks 63rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Lesotho 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.