Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Moldova
Moldova: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 12.6 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Moldova, 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
Moldova recorded 12.6 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Moldova peaked at 21.1 µg/m³ in 2002 and was at its lowest, 12.6 µg/m³, in 2024.
Moldova ranks 142nd of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Moldova, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 19.9 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 19.4 µg/m³ | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 17.5 µg/m³ | -9.8% |
| 2001 | 19 µg/m³ | +8.6% |
| 2002 | 21.1 µg/m³ | +11.1% |
| 2003 | 17.5 µg/m³ | -17.1% |
| 2004 | 17.7 µg/m³ | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 18 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 19.9 µg/m³ | +10.6% |
| 2007 | 16.8 µg/m³ | -15.6% |
| 2008 | 16.5 µg/m³ | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 16.8 µg/m³ | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 16.2 µg/m³ | -3.6% |
| 2011 | 17.6 µg/m³ | +8.6% |
| 2012 | 18.6 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2013 | 16.2 µg/m³ | -12.9% |
| 2014 | 16.3 µg/m³ | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 15 µg/m³ | -8.0% |
| 2016 | 15 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 17.1 µg/m³ | +14.0% |
| 2018 | 14.9 µg/m³ | -12.9% |
| 2019 | 12.8 µg/m³ | -14.1% |
| 2020 | 13.7 µg/m³ | +7.0% |
| 2021 | 14.2 µg/m³ | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 14 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 12.9 µg/m³ | -7.9% |
| 2024 | 12.6 µg/m³ | -2.3% |
Moldova compared with similar countries
- Moldova's 12.6 µg/m³ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 73% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Moldova's 12.6 µg/m³ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8 µg/m³, 98% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.65 µg/m³ | 19.4 µg/m³ | 19.9 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 18.08 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 21.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.97 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 18.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.48 µg/m³ | 12.6 µg/m³ | 14.2 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Moldova
More environment data for Moldova
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0661 % 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 -0.0108 % 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 0.8634 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 1.92 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Moldova?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Moldova was 12.6 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 Moldova?
- The highest recorded value was 21.1 µg/m³ in 2002.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Moldova?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6 µg/m³ in 2024.
- How does Moldova rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Moldova ranks 142nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Moldova?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Moldova 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.