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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 15.7 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 11.7 µg/m³ | -25.5% |
| 2000 | 14.9 µg/m³ | +27.4% |
| 2001 | 19.6 µg/m³ | +31.5% |
| 2002 | 17.3 µg/m³ | -11.7% |
| 2003 | 17.6 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 16.2 µg/m³ | -8.0% |
| 2005 | 19 µg/m³ | +17.3% |
| 2006 | 16.6 µg/m³ | -12.6% |
| 2007 | 19.3 µg/m³ | +16.3% |
| 2008 | 18.8 µg/m³ | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 16.3 µg/m³ | -13.3% |
| 2010 | 18 µg/m³ | +10.4% |
| 2011 | 16.3 µg/m³ | -9.4% |
| 2012 | 17.9 µg/m³ | +9.8% |
| 2013 | 17 µg/m³ | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 16.2 µg/m³ | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 17.6 µg/m³ | +8.6% |
| 2016 | 15.8 µg/m³ | -10.2% |
| 2017 | 15.7 µg/m³ | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 17.1 µg/m³ | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 16.4 µg/m³ | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 14.5 µg/m³ | -11.6% |
| 2021 | 15.7 µg/m³ | +8.3% |
| 2022 | 18.5 µg/m³ | +17.8% |
| 2023 | 19.5 µg/m³ | +5.4% |
| 2024 | 20.1 µg/m³ | +3.1% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 20.1 µg/m³ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 81% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 20.1 µg/m³ is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.2 µg/m³, 80% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
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
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 3.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.311 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.06 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (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.