Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mongolia
Mongolia: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 38.2 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mongolia, 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
The most recent figure for exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mongolia is 38.2 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mongolia peaked at 46 µg/m³ in 2021 and was at its lowest, 23.8 µg/m³, in 1999.
That places Mongolia 22nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mongolia, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 27.1 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 23.8 µg/m³ | -12.2% |
| 2000 | 25.5 µg/m³ | +7.1% |
| 2001 | 26.2 µg/m³ | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 30.1 µg/m³ | +14.9% |
| 2003 | 32.3 µg/m³ | +7.3% |
| 2004 | 27.8 µg/m³ | -13.9% |
| 2005 | 28.9 µg/m³ | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 33.1 µg/m³ | +14.5% |
| 2007 | 37.3 µg/m³ | +12.7% |
| 2008 | 38.8 µg/m³ | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 35.5 µg/m³ | -8.5% |
| 2010 | 35.8 µg/m³ | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 38.1 µg/m³ | +6.4% |
| 2012 | 37.2 µg/m³ | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 41.5 µg/m³ | +11.6% |
| 2014 | 39.7 µg/m³ | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 41.1 µg/m³ | +3.5% |
| 2016 | 43.5 µg/m³ | +5.8% |
| 2017 | 42.2 µg/m³ | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 40 µg/m³ | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 41.2 µg/m³ | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 45.9 µg/m³ | +11.4% |
| 2021 | 46 µg/m³ | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 40.2 µg/m³ | -12.6% |
| 2023 | 38 µg/m³ | -5.5% |
| 2024 | 38.2 µg/m³ | +0.5% |
Mongolia compared with similar countries
- Mongolia's 38.2 µg/m³ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 2.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Mongolia's 38.2 µg/m³ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 4.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.45 µg/m³ | 23.8 µg/m³ | 27.1 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 31.55 µg/m³ | 25.5 µg/m³ | 38.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.03 µg/m³ | 35.8 µg/m³ | 43.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.66 µg/m³ | 38 µg/m³ | 46 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mongolia
More environment data for Mongolia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.5 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.602 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.37 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 11.35 % 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 1.42 % 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 Mongolia?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mongolia was 38.2 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 Mongolia?
- The highest recorded value was 46 µg/m³ in 2021.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Mongolia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Mongolia rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Mongolia ranks 22nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Mongolia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mongolia 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.