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.
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
- Forest area 529,220 hectares (2025)
- Share of global forest area 0.0% (2025)
- Annual change in forest area as a share of forest area -0.2% (2025)
- Annual change in forest area -798.01 hectares (2025)
- Annual change in forest area vs. GDP per capita -0.2% (2025)
- Change in domestic forest area vs. deforestation embedded in imported goods -798.01 hectares (2025)
- Emissions of air pollutants 571.23 tonnes (2022)
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources 5.82 micrograms per cubic meter (2024)
- Land use over the long-term 5.00 million hectares (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term 5.00 million hectares (2025)
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.