Outdoor air pollution exposure in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Outdoor air pollution exposure was 8.8 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
8.8
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
182nd
of 241 countries
All-time high
13.8
in 2003
All-time low
8.7
in 2020
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Outdoor air pollution exposure in United Kingdom, 1998–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 8.8 for outdoor air pollution exposure 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, outdoor air pollution exposure in United Kingdom peaked at 13.8 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 8.7, 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.
Outdoor air pollution exposure in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 13.1 | — |
| 1999 | 11.3 | -13.7% |
| 2000 | 11.9 | +5.3% |
| 2001 | 12.1 | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 12.1 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 13.8 | +14.0% |
| 2004 | 10.7 | -22.5% |
| 2005 | 10.8 | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 11.4 | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 11.2 | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 10.9 | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 10.9 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11.5 | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 12 | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 10.6 | -11.7% |
| 2013 | 12.3 | +16.0% |
| 2014 | 11.9 | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 10.5 | -11.8% |
| 2016 | 10.9 | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 10.7 | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 10.6 | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 10.8 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 8.7 | -19.4% |
| 2021 | 9.2 | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 9.5 | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 9 | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 8.8 | -2.2% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 8.8 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3, 85% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 8.8 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8, 69% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.2 | 11.3 | 13.1 | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.58 | 10.7 | 13.8 | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.18 | 10.5 | 12.3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.04 | 8.7 | 9.5 | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 180 Brunei 8.9 compare
- 180 France 8.9 compare
- 183 Andorra 8.7 compare
- 184 Luxembourg 8.4 compare
- 184 Turks and Caicos Islands 8.4 compare
More environment data for United Kingdom
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 0.1522 hectares per person (2025)
- 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)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 44.21 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 9.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Wood-based panels — Production, annual growth rate -2.38 % change on previous year (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is outdoor air pollution exposure in United Kingdom?
- Outdoor air pollution exposure in United Kingdom was 8.8 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 13.8 in 2003.
- What is the lowest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7 in 2020.
- How does United Kingdom rank for outdoor air pollution exposure?
- United Kingdom ranks 182nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is outdoor air pollution exposure 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 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).