Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 20.1 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Zimbabwe, 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
Zimbabwe recorded 20.1 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Zimbabwe peaked at 20.1 µg/m³ in 2024 and was at its lowest, 11.7 µg/m³, in 1999.
Zimbabwe ranks 88th of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.7 µg/m³ | 11.7 µg/m³ | 15.7 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 17.56 µg/m³ | 14.9 µg/m³ | 19.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.8 µg/m³ | 15.7 µg/m³ | 18 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.66 µg/m³ | 14.5 µg/m³ | 20.1 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More environment data for Zimbabwe
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 30.78 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.85 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 9.2 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 1.05 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.9067 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0093 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 12.79 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0022 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0156 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.6 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Zimbabwe?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Zimbabwe was 20.1 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 20.1 µg/m³ in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.7 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Zimbabwe ranks 88th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.