Exposure to outdoor air pollution in United States
United States: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 7.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in United States, 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
The most recent figure for exposure to outdoor air pollution in United States is 7.5 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 13.8% on the previous year and down 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in United States peaked at 12.8 µg/m³ in 2000 and was at its lowest, 7.3 µg/m³, in 2019.
That places United States 189th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 | 12.7 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | 12.7 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.49 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 12.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.31 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | 9.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.86 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | 8.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 186 Jersey 8.1 µg/m³ compare
- 187 Antigua and Barbuda 7.8 µg/m³ compare
- 188 Montserrat 7.6 µg/m³ compare
- 190 Guernsey 7.4 µg/m³ compare
- 192 Puerto Rico 7.3 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for United States
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 5,913 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 17.39 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 257.35 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 9.47 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 418.87 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 1.54 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 843.36 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 2 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 3.59 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 149.52 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in United States?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in United States was 7.5 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 States?
- The highest recorded value was 12.8 µg/m³ in 2000.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.3 µg/m³ in 2019.
- How does United States rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- United States ranks 189th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.