Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Syria
Syria: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 30.8 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Syria, 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
In 2024, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Syria stood at 30.8 µg/m³.
That represents a change of up 5.1% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Syria peaked at 32.4 µg/m³ in 2011 and was at its lowest, 23.9 µg/m³, in 1998.
That places Syria 44th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Syria, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 23.9 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 27.5 µg/m³ | +15.1% |
| 2000 | 27.3 µg/m³ | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 28.1 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 25.7 µg/m³ | -8.5% |
| 2003 | 27.3 µg/m³ | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 26.3 µg/m³ | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 26.3 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 27 µg/m³ | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 28.6 µg/m³ | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 28.9 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 30.9 µg/m³ | +6.9% |
| 2010 | 32.2 µg/m³ | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 32.4 µg/m³ | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 31.8 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 29.9 µg/m³ | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 29.5 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 30.5 µg/m³ | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 27.5 µg/m³ | -9.8% |
| 2017 | 28 µg/m³ | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 29.6 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 29.9 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 27.9 µg/m³ | -6.7% |
| 2021 | 27.6 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 31.7 µg/m³ | +14.9% |
| 2023 | 29.3 µg/m³ | -7.6% |
| 2024 | 30.8 µg/m³ | +5.1% |
Syria compared with similar countries
- Syria's 30.8 µg/m³ is above the median for low income countries, which is 30.8 µg/m³, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Syria's 30.8 µg/m³ is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 34.1 µg/m³, 90% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.7 µg/m³ | 23.9 µg/m³ | 27.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 27.64 µg/m³ | 25.7 µg/m³ | 30.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.13 µg/m³ | 27.5 µg/m³ | 32.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.46 µg/m³ | 27.6 µg/m³ | 31.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Syria
- 41 Djibouti 31.1 µg/m³ compare
- 42 Mali 31 µg/m³ compare
- 42 Togo 31 µg/m³ compare
- 45 El Salvador 30.7 µg/m³ compare
- 46 Uzbekistan 30 µg/m³ compare
- 47 Turkmenistan 29.1 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Syria
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.36 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2022)
- 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 3.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 1.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Syria?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Syria was 30.8 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 Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 32.4 µg/m³ in 2011.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.9 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Syria rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Syria ranks 44th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Syria 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.