Outdoor air pollution exposure in Pakistan
Pakistan: Outdoor air pollution exposure was 53.8 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
53.8
Change on year
up 7.2%
World rank
5th
of 241 countries
All-time high
54.6
in 2015
All-time low
36.5
in 1999
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Outdoor air pollution exposure in Pakistan, 1998–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for outdoor air pollution exposure in Pakistan is 53.8, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 7.2% on the previous year and up 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, outdoor air pollution exposure in Pakistan peaked at 54.6 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 36.5, 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.
Outdoor air pollution exposure in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 37.8 | — |
| 1999 | 36.5 | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 42.4 | +16.2% |
| 2001 | 44.4 | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 43.8 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 45.3 | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 45.2 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 44 | -2.7% |
| 2006 | 46.8 | +6.4% |
| 2007 | 47.7 | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 46.8 | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 45.5 | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 52 | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 49.9 | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 47.5 | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 50.2 | +5.7% |
| 2014 | 48.1 | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 54.6 | +13.5% |
| 2016 | 53.9 | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 51.6 | -4.3% |
| 2018 | 52.5 | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 48.4 | -7.8% |
| 2020 | 47.4 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 51.3 | +8.2% |
| 2022 | 51 | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 50.2 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 53.8 | +7.2% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 53.8 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7, 2.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 53.8 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.1, 1.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.15 | 36.5 | 37.8 | 2 |
| 2000s | 45.19 | 42.4 | 47.7 | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.87 | 47.5 | 54.6 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.74 | 47.4 | 53.8 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
- 2 Bangladesh 65 compare
- 3 Kuwait 57.3 compare
- 4 United Arab Emirates 55.7 compare
- 6 Cameroon 51.5 compare
- 7 Saudi Arabia 50.4 compare
- 8 Nigeria 50 compare
More environment data for Pakistan
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0.0196 hectares per person (2025)
- 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)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 6.49 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is outdoor air pollution exposure in Pakistan?
- Outdoor air pollution exposure in Pakistan was 53.8 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 54.6 in 2015.
- What is the lowest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.5 in 1999.
- How does Pakistan rank for outdoor air pollution exposure?
- Pakistan ranks 5th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is outdoor air pollution exposure 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Outdoor air pollution exposure. 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).