Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Uganda

Uganda: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 37.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
37.3 µg/m³
Change on year
up 31.8%
World rank
24th
of 241 countries
All-time high
38.3 µg/m³
in 2001
All-time low
19 µg/m³
in 1999
Years of data
27
1998–2024

Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Uganda, 1998–2024

0102030401998201120241998: 25.9 µg/m³1999: 19 µg/m³2000: 34.1 µg/m³2001: 38.3 µg/m³2002: 33.3 µg/m³2003: 33.1 µg/m³2004: 33.1 µg/m³2005: 32 µg/m³2006: 28.9 µg/m³2007: 34.1 µg/m³2008: 33 µg/m³2009: 29.6 µg/m³2010: 34.7 µg/m³2011: 35.6 µg/m³2012: 37.4 µg/m³2013: 38.3 µg/m³2014: 34.6 µg/m³2015: 34.9 µg/m³2016: 34.9 µg/m³2017: 32.2 µg/m³2018: 32.3 µg/m³2019: 34.4 µg/m³2020: 36 µg/m³2021: 36.1 µg/m³2022: 35 µg/m³2023: 28.3 µg/m³2024: 37.3 µg/m³

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 Uganda stood at 37.3 µg/m³.

The figure is up 31.8% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Uganda peaked at 38.3 µg/m³ in 2001 and was at its lowest, 19 µg/m³, in 1999.

That places Uganda 24th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 22.45 µg/m³ 19 µg/m³ 25.9 µg/m³ 2
2000s 32.95 µg/m³ 28.9 µg/m³ 38.3 µg/m³ 10
2010s 34.93 µg/m³ 32.2 µg/m³ 38.3 µg/m³ 10
2020s 34.54 µg/m³ 28.3 µg/m³ 37.3 µg/m³ 5

Countries ranked near Uganda

  1. 21 Chad 39.2 µg/m³ compare
  2. 22 Mongolia 38.2 µg/m³ compare
  3. 23 Iran 37.7 µg/m³ compare
  4. 25 Senegal 36.5 µg/m³ compare
  5. 26 Gambia 35.7 µg/m³ compare
  6. 27 Equatorial Guinea 35.4 µg/m³ compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More environment data for Uganda

All data for Uganda →

Frequently asked questions

What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Uganda?
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Uganda was 37.3 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 Uganda?
The highest recorded value was 38.3 µg/m³ in 2001.
What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Uganda?
The lowest recorded value was 19 µg/m³ in 1999.
How does Uganda rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
Uganda ranks 24th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Uganda?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Uganda 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

Indicator
Exposure to outdoor air pollution
Unit
µg/m³
Source
SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
241 places, 6,507 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed

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.