PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure was 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in United Kingdom, 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
United Kingdom recorded 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
That represents a change of down 5.5% on the previous year and down 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in United Kingdom peaked at 20.16 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991 and was at its lowest, 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2023.
That places United Kingdom 158th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom 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 | 19.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 15.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 155 Spain 10.08 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 156 Austria 10.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 157 Solomon Islands 9.77 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 159 Cuba 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 160 Seychelles 9.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 161 Andorra 8.88 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More urban development data for United Kingdom
- Population in the largest city 17.0% (2025)
- Population density 283.25 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 19.05 million (2025)
- Population in largest city 9.84 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidel 66.5% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in United Kingdom?
- Pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in United Kingdom was 9.46 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 20.16 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991.
- What is the lowest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- How does United Kingdom rank for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure?
- United Kingdom ranks 158th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.