PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure was 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▲ Rising
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Saudi Arabia, 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 Saudi Arabia stood at 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.5% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Saudi Arabia peaked at 77.79 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022 and was at its lowest, 52.06 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1991.
That places Saudi Arabia 2nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 52.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 60.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 59.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 71.58 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 63.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 76.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 68.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 77.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More urban development data for Saudi Arabia
- Population in the largest city 25.4% (2025)
- Population density 15.68 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 18.19 million (2025)
- Population in largest city 7.95 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 Saudi Arabia?
- Pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Saudi Arabia was 73.52 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 Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 77.79 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- What is the lowest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.06 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 2nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.