Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Malawi
Malawi: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 21.8 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Malawi, 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
Malawi recorded 21.8 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.0% on the previous year and up 16.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Malawi peaked at 21.8 µg/m³ in 2024 and was at its lowest, 10.8 µg/m³, in 1999.
Malawi ranks 73rd 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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Malawi, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 13.3 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 10.8 µg/m³ | -18.8% |
| 2000 | 15.6 µg/m³ | +44.4% |
| 2001 | 21.3 µg/m³ | +36.5% |
| 2002 | 18 µg/m³ | -15.5% |
| 2003 | 18.6 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 18.4 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 20.2 µg/m³ | +9.8% |
| 2006 | 18.7 µg/m³ | -7.4% |
| 2007 | 21 µg/m³ | +12.3% |
| 2008 | 20.4 µg/m³ | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 17.8 µg/m³ | -12.7% |
| 2010 | 19.4 µg/m³ | +9.0% |
| 2011 | 19.3 µg/m³ | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 19.5 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 18.3 µg/m³ | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 18.7 µg/m³ | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 18.7 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 16.2 µg/m³ | -13.4% |
| 2017 | 17 µg/m³ | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 17.7 µg/m³ | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 19.2 µg/m³ | +8.5% |
| 2020 | 16.7 µg/m³ | -13.0% |
| 2021 | 16.5 µg/m³ | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 20.8 µg/m³ | +26.1% |
| 2023 | 20 µg/m³ | -3.8% |
| 2024 | 21.8 µg/m³ | +9.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 21.8 µg/m³ is below the median for low income countries, which is 30.8 µg/m³, 71% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 21.8 µg/m³ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.05 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 19 µg/m³ | 15.6 µg/m³ | 21.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.4 µg/m³ | 16.2 µg/m³ | 19.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.16 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 21.8 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 71 Philippines 23.1 µg/m³ compare
- 72 Kenya 22 µg/m³ compare
- 74 Georgia 21.5 µg/m³ compare
- 75 Paraguay 21.3 µg/m³ compare
- 76 North Korea 21.2 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % 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 5.3 % 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 Malawi?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Malawi was 21.8 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 21.8 µg/m³ in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.8 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Malawi rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Malawi ranks 73rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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.