Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho
Lesotho: Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita was 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
26.44 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 14.0%
World rank
58th
of 200 countries
All-time high
33.49 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2010
All-time low
24.24 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2005
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho, 1990–2023
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2023, exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho stood at 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.0% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho peaked at 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010 and was at its lowest, 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2005.
That places Lesotho 58th out of 200 countries 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.
Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 30.63 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 30.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 30.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 30.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 30.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 30.85 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 29.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 29.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 29.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 28.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 29.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 26.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2004 | 24.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 28.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +16.4% |
| 2007 | 30.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.7% |
| 2008 | 29.49 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 30.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.7% |
| 2011 | 30.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 27.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.1% |
| 2013 | 26.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 25.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.6% |
| 2015 | 26.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 28.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.8% |
| 2018 | 27.36 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 25.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.4% |
| 2020 | 27.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 27.11 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 30.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.4% |
| 2023 | 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.0% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 28.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
- 55 South Africa 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 56 Guinea 27.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 57 Lebanon 26.69 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 59 Turkey 26.4 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 60 Bosnia and Herzegovina 26.09 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 61 Laos 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More economy & growth data for Lesotho
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps 0 BoP, current US$ (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 0 BoP, current US$ per person (1989)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled -5.77 million BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual 54.09 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0022 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -2.44 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4215 includes gold, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), per capita 431.19 includes gold, current US$ per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho?
- Exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Lesotho was 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 33.49 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- What is the lowest exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 2005.
- How does Lesotho rank for exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita?
- Lesotho ranks 58th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lesotho data come from?
- The figures come from Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.