Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Pakistan
Pakistan: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 53.8 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Pakistan, 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 Pakistan is 53.8 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 7.2% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Pakistan peaked at 54.6 µg/m³ in 2015 and was at its lowest, 36.5 µg/m³, in 1999.
That places Pakistan 5th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.15 µg/m³ | 36.5 µg/m³ | 37.8 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 45.19 µg/m³ | 42.4 µg/m³ | 47.7 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.87 µg/m³ | 47.5 µg/m³ | 54.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.74 µg/m³ | 47.4 µg/m³ | 53.8 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 2 Bangladesh 65 µg/m³ compare
- 3 Kuwait 57.3 µg/m³ compare
- 4 United Arab Emirates 55.7 µg/m³ compare
- 6 Cameroon 51.5 µg/m³ compare
- 7 Saudi Arabia 50.4 µg/m³ compare
- 8 Nigeria 50 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Pakistan
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 525.88 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 2.09 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 203.87 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 9.39 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 12.41 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1976 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 250.9 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0509 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.3976 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 24.59 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Pakistan?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Pakistan was 53.8 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 54.6 µg/m³ in 2015.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.5 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Pakistan rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Pakistan ranks 5th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.