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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 13.1 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 11.3 µg/m³ | -13.7% |
| 2000 | 11.9 µg/m³ | +5.3% |
| 2001 | 12.1 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 12.1 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 13.8 µg/m³ | +14.0% |
| 2004 | 10.7 µg/m³ | -22.5% |
| 2005 | 10.8 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 11.4 µg/m³ | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 11.2 µg/m³ | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 10.9 µg/m³ | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 10.9 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11.5 µg/m³ | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 12 µg/m³ | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 10.6 µg/m³ | -11.7% |
| 2013 | 12.3 µg/m³ | +16.0% |
| 2014 | 11.9 µg/m³ | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 10.5 µg/m³ | -11.8% |
| 2016 | 10.9 µg/m³ | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 10.7 µg/m³ | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 10.6 µg/m³ | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 10.8 µg/m³ | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 8.7 µg/m³ | -19.4% |
| 2021 | 9.2 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 9.5 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 9 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 8.8 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 8.8 µg/m³ is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 85% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 8.8 µg/m³ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8 µg/m³, 69% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
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
- 180 Brunei 8.9 µg/m³ compare
- 180 France 8.9 µg/m³ compare
- 183 Andorra 8.7 µg/m³ compare
- 184 Luxembourg 8.4 µg/m³ compare
- 184 Turks and Caicos Islands 8.4 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.25 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.47 % 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 -0.8735 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (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.