PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure was 24.05 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1990–2023
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2023, pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) stood at 24.05 micrograms per cubic meter.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 29.45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 23.17 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2016.
That places Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 29.45 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 29.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 29.25 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 29.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 28.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 29.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 28.55 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 28.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 28.25 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 28.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 27.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 27.68 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 28.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 26.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.6% |
| 2004 | 25.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 24.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 24.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 24.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 24.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 25.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 25.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 24.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 24.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 25.07 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 24.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 23.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.9% |
| 2017 | 24.51 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 24.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 23.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 23.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2021 | 24.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 24.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 25.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- 28 Burkina Faso 37.32 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 29 Congo 36.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 30 Rwanda 36.01 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 31 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 32 Burundi 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 33 Mali 35.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 34 Myanmar 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More urban development data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)
- Population in the largest city 21.7% (2025)
- Population density 42.1 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO 99.0% (2017)
All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 24.05 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network.
- What is the highest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 29.45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.17 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure?
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 31st out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network, published as part of PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population-weighted exposure to ambient PM2.5 pollution is defined as the average level of exposure of a nation's population to concentrations of suspended particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter, which are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and causing severe health damage. Exposure is calculated by weighting mean annual concentrations of PM2.5 by population in both urban and rural areas.