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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 37.8 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 36.5 µg/m³ | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 42.4 µg/m³ | +16.2% |
| 2001 | 44.4 µg/m³ | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 43.8 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 45.3 µg/m³ | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 45.2 µg/m³ | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 44 µg/m³ | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 46.8 µg/m³ | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 47.7 µg/m³ | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 46.8 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 45.5 µg/m³ | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 52 µg/m³ | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 49.9 µg/m³ | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 47.5 µg/m³ | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 50.2 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 48.1 µg/m³ | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 54.6 µg/m³ | +13.5% |
| 2016 | 53.9 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 51.6 µg/m³ | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 52.5 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 48.4 µg/m³ | -7.8% |
| 2020 | 47.4 µg/m³ | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 51.3 µg/m³ | +8.2% |
| 2022 | 51 µg/m³ | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 50.2 µg/m³ | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 53.8 µg/m³ | +7.2% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 53.8 µg/m³ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 2.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 53.8 µg/m³ is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.1 µg/m³, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
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
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -10.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.373 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.58 °C (2025)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.7034 % 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 3.1 % change on previous year (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.