PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure was 37.95 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Afghanistan, 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
Afghanistan recorded 37.95 micrograms per cubic meter for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in 2023.
That represents a change of down 5.6% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Afghanistan peaked at 49.62 micrograms per cubic meter in 2002 and was at its lowest, 34.16 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
Afghanistan ranks 26th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 48 micrograms per cubic meter | 47.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 48.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 49.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 41.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 40.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 23 Iran 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 24 Benin 39.66 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 25 Gambia 38.27 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 27 Sudan 37.61 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 28 Burkina Faso 37.32 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 29 Congo 36.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More urban development data for Afghanistan
- Population in the largest city 42.9% (2025)
- Population density 63.56 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 4.88 million (2025)
- Population in largest city 4.88 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidel 100.0% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Afghanistan?
- Pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Afghanistan was 37.95 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 Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 49.62 micrograms per cubic meter in 2002.
- What is the lowest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.16 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Afghanistan rank for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure?
- Afghanistan ranks 26th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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.
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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.