Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Somalia
Somalia: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 11.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Somalia, 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 Somalia is 11.5 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Somalia peaked at 15.7 µg/m³ in 2000 and was at its lowest, 10.2 µg/m³, in 1998.
That places Somalia 152nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Somalia, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 10.2 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 13.4 µg/m³ | +31.4% |
| 2000 | 15.7 µg/m³ | +17.2% |
| 2001 | 13.3 µg/m³ | -15.3% |
| 2002 | 13.3 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 13.9 µg/m³ | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 14.3 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 13.2 µg/m³ | -7.7% |
| 2006 | 14.5 µg/m³ | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 13.4 µg/m³ | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 14.7 µg/m³ | +9.7% |
| 2009 | 14.9 µg/m³ | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 13.2 µg/m³ | -11.4% |
| 2011 | 15.5 µg/m³ | +17.4% |
| 2012 | 14.8 µg/m³ | -4.5% |
| 2013 | 13.8 µg/m³ | -6.8% |
| 2014 | 13 µg/m³ | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 12.3 µg/m³ | -5.4% |
| 2016 | 12.4 µg/m³ | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 13.7 µg/m³ | +10.5% |
| 2018 | 13 µg/m³ | -5.1% |
| 2019 | 12.2 µg/m³ | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 11.8 µg/m³ | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 11.1 µg/m³ | -5.9% |
| 2022 | 12.7 µg/m³ | +14.4% |
| 2023 | 11.5 µg/m³ | -9.4% |
| 2024 | 11.5 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 11.5 µg/m³ is below the median for low income countries, which is 30.8 µg/m³, 37% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 11.5 µg/m³ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 46% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.8 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 13.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.12 µg/m³ | 13.2 µg/m³ | 15.7 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.39 µg/m³ | 12.2 µg/m³ | 15.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.72 µg/m³ | 11.1 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
- 149 Martinique 11.8 µg/m³ compare
- 150 Lithuania 11.6 µg/m³ compare
- 150 Madagascar 11.6 µg/m³ compare
- 153 Barbados 11.2 µg/m³ compare
- 154 Malta 11.1 µg/m³ compare
- 155 Papua New Guinea 11 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Somalia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -28.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -24.06 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.278 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.53 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.5029 % 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 -0.1376 % 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 Somalia?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Somalia was 11.5 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 15.7 µg/m³ in 2000.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.2 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Somalia rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Somalia ranks 152nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia 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.