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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 32.1 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 24 µg/m³ | -25.2% |
| 2000 | 39.1 µg/m³ | +62.9% |
| 2001 | 42.8 µg/m³ | +9.5% |
| 2002 | 37.7 µg/m³ | -11.9% |
| 2003 | 32.9 µg/m³ | -12.7% |
| 2004 | 41.1 µg/m³ | +24.9% |
| 2005 | 38.2 µg/m³ | -7.1% |
| 2006 | 32.2 µg/m³ | -15.7% |
| 2007 | 40.3 µg/m³ | +25.2% |
| 2008 | 39 µg/m³ | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 35 µg/m³ | -10.3% |
| 2010 | 40.3 µg/m³ | +15.1% |
| 2011 | 42.1 µg/m³ | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 47 µg/m³ | +11.6% |
| 2013 | 44.6 µg/m³ | -5.1% |
| 2014 | 42 µg/m³ | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 44.9 µg/m³ | +6.9% |
| 2016 | 42.3 µg/m³ | -5.8% |
| 2017 | 37.1 µg/m³ | -12.3% |
| 2018 | 36.5 µg/m³ | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 43.8 µg/m³ | +20.0% |
| 2020 | 40.7 µg/m³ | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 40.4 µg/m³ | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 39.3 µg/m³ | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 30.7 µg/m³ | -21.9% |
| 2024 | 41.8 µg/m³ | +36.2% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 41.8 µg/m³ is above the median for low income countries, which is 30.8 µg/m³, 1.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 41.8 µg/m³ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate -31.63 % change on previous year (2013)
- Standard Deviation 0.268 °C (2013)
- Temperature change 1.35 °C (2013)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.0359 % 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 -1.42 % 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 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.