Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Rwanda
Rwanda: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 41.8 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Rwanda, 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 Rwanda is 41.8 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 36.2% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Rwanda peaked at 47 µg/m³ in 2012 and was at its lowest, 24 µg/m³, in 1999.
Rwanda ranks 13th of 241 countries on this measure, 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 | 28.05 µg/m³ | 24 µg/m³ | 32.1 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 37.83 µg/m³ | 32.2 µg/m³ | 42.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 42.06 µg/m³ | 36.5 µg/m³ | 47 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.58 µg/m³ | 30.7 µg/m³ | 41.8 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More environment data for Rwanda
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 8.35 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 0.5857 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 1.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.9152 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.9571 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0053 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 4.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0004 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0055 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.12 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Rwanda?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Rwanda was 41.8 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 47 µg/m³ in 2012.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 24 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Rwanda rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Rwanda ranks 13th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.