Exposure to outdoor air pollution in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 8.8 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in United Kingdom, 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
United Kingdom recorded 8.8 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 26.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in United Kingdom peaked at 13.8 µg/m³ in 2003 and was at its lowest, 8.7 µg/m³, in 2020.
United Kingdom ranks 182nd of 241 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.2 µg/m³ | 11.3 µg/m³ | 13.1 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.58 µg/m³ | 10.7 µg/m³ | 13.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.18 µg/m³ | 10.5 µg/m³ | 12.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.04 µg/m³ | 8.7 µg/m³ | 9.5 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 386.7 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.58 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 31.55 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.7351 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 3.35 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.078 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 58.88 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.3113 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1931 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 22.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in United Kingdom?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in United Kingdom was 8.8 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 13.8 µg/m³ in 2003.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7 µg/m³ in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- United Kingdom ranks 182nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.