Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Western Sahara
Western Sahara: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 19.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Western Sahara, 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
Western Sahara recorded 19.5 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.1% on the previous year and up 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Western Sahara peaked at 22.1 µg/m³ in 1998 and was at its lowest, 15.2 µg/m³, in 2011.
Western Sahara ranks 91st of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Western Sahara, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 22.1 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 20.5 µg/m³ | -7.2% |
| 2000 | 19 µg/m³ | -7.3% |
| 2001 | 17.6 µg/m³ | -7.4% |
| 2002 | 18.6 µg/m³ | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 18.5 µg/m³ | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 18.2 µg/m³ | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 18.4 µg/m³ | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 15.5 µg/m³ | -15.8% |
| 2007 | 17.7 µg/m³ | +14.2% |
| 2008 | 17.3 µg/m³ | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 15.7 µg/m³ | -9.2% |
| 2010 | 15.9 µg/m³ | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 15.2 µg/m³ | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 15.7 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 15.4 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 15.5 µg/m³ | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 16.6 µg/m³ | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 15.4 µg/m³ | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 17.4 µg/m³ | +13.0% |
| 2018 | 17.3 µg/m³ | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 16 µg/m³ | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 16.1 µg/m³ | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 17.3 µg/m³ | +7.5% |
| 2022 | 19.4 µg/m³ | +12.1% |
| 2023 | 16.8 µg/m³ | -13.4% |
| 2024 | 19.5 µg/m³ | +16.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.3 µg/m³ | 20.5 µg/m³ | 22.1 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 17.65 µg/m³ | 15.5 µg/m³ | 19 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.04 µg/m³ | 15.2 µg/m³ | 17.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.82 µg/m³ | 16.1 µg/m³ | 19.5 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Western Sahara
More environment data for Western Sahara
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -62.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.503 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -21.2 Percentage change (2025)
- Land area — Area 26,600 1000 ha (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -52.95 Percentage change (2024)
- Country area — Area 26,600 1000 ha (2024)
- Pesticides (total) — Export value 37.78 1000 USD (2024)
- Pesticides (total) — Import value 62.35 1000 USD (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Western Sahara?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Western Sahara was 19.5 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 Western Sahara?
- The highest recorded value was 22.1 µg/m³ in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Western Sahara?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.2 µg/m³ in 2011.
- How does Western Sahara rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Western Sahara ranks 91st out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Western Sahara?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Sahara 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.