Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nigeria
Nigeria: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 50 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria stood at 50 µg/m³.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and up 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nigeria peaked at 57.3 µg/m³ in 2008 and was at its lowest, 43.4 µg/m³, in 1999.
Nigeria ranks 8th of 241 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 51.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 43.4 µg/m³ | -15.6% |
| 2000 | 52 µg/m³ | +19.8% |
| 2001 | 52 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 54.4 µg/m³ | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 50.1 µg/m³ | -7.9% |
| 2004 | 52.7 µg/m³ | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 53.2 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 51.3 µg/m³ | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 55.9 µg/m³ | +9.0% |
| 2008 | 57.3 µg/m³ | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 51.6 µg/m³ | -9.9% |
| 2010 | 50 µg/m³ | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 52.9 µg/m³ | +5.8% |
| 2012 | 50.6 µg/m³ | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 49 µg/m³ | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 47.6 µg/m³ | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 55.8 µg/m³ | +17.2% |
| 2016 | 55.2 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 55.2 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 51.9 µg/m³ | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 48.5 µg/m³ | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 52.6 µg/m³ | +8.5% |
| 2021 | 52.5 µg/m³ | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 54 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 51.1 µg/m³ | -5.4% |
| 2024 | 50 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 50 µg/m³ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 2.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 50 µg/m³ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 2.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 47.4 µg/m³ | 43.4 µg/m³ | 51.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 53.05 µg/m³ | 50.1 µg/m³ | 57.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.67 µg/m³ | 47.6 µg/m³ | 55.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.04 µg/m³ | 50 µg/m³ | 54 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More environment data for Nigeria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.07 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.281 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.78 % 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 0.4617 % 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 Nigeria?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nigeria was 50 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 57.3 µg/m³ in 2008.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.4 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Nigeria rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Nigeria ranks 8th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.