Outdoor air pollution exposure in South Africa
South Africa: Outdoor air pollution exposure was 24.4 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
24.4
Change on year
up 3.8%
World rank
64th
of 241 countries
All-time high
24.5
in 2022
All-time low
19.5
in 1999
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Outdoor air pollution exposure in South Africa, 1998–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for outdoor air pollution exposure in South Africa is 24.4, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 3.8% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, outdoor air pollution exposure in South Africa peaked at 24.5 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 19.5, in 1999.
That places South Africa 64th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Outdoor air pollution exposure in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 20.7 | — |
| 1999 | 19.5 | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 21.2 | +8.7% |
| 2001 | 20.6 | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 20.8 | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 20.3 | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 20.9 | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 22 | +5.3% |
| 2006 | 21.3 | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 21.2 | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 22.6 | +6.6% |
| 2009 | 21.5 | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 23.5 | +9.3% |
| 2011 | 21.6 | -8.1% |
| 2012 | 22.9 | +6.0% |
| 2013 | 22.3 | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 22.8 | +2.2% |
| 2015 | 22.9 | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 21.3 | -7.0% |
| 2017 | 23 | +8.0% |
| 2018 | 22.9 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 23 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 22 | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 22.8 | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 24.5 | +7.5% |
| 2023 | 23.5 | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 24.4 | +3.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 24.4 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15, 1.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 24.4 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2, 97% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.1 | 19.5 | 20.7 | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.24 | 20.3 | 22.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.62 | 21.3 | 23.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.44 | 22 | 24.5 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More environment data for South Africa
- 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 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 1.3 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.275 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 69.19 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 South Africa?
- Outdoor air pollution exposure in South Africa was 24.4 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 24.5 in 2022.
- What is the lowest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.5 in 1999.
- How does South Africa rank for outdoor air pollution exposure?
- South Africa ranks 64th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is outdoor air pollution exposure rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa 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).