Central African Republic: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Central African Republic's PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) rose 0.65 on 2022 (from 32.64 to 33.29).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.03 and a typical year strayed about 2.02 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.65 in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.43 in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.32 a year. A straight line explains 43% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Central African Republic had the 39th highest value of the 200 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Central African Republic in the 2023 ranking

• Togo — 35th of 200: 34.33
• Eritrea — 36th of 200: 33.66
• Tajikistan — 37th of 200: 33.35
• Uzbekistan — 39th of 200: 32.77
• Jordan — 40th of 200: 32.63
• Guinea-Bissau — 41st of 200: 32.29

What this measures

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.

Limitations: Pollutant concentrations are sensitive to local conditions, and even monitoring sites in the same city may register different levels. Direct monitoring of PM2.5 is still rare in most parts of the world, and measurement protocols and standards are not the same for all countries. These data should be considered only a general indication of air quality, intended to inform cross-country comparisons of the health risks due to particulate matter pollution. The guideline set by the World Health Organization (WHO) for PM2.5 is that annual mean concentrations should not exceed 10 micrograms per cubic meter, representing the lower range over which adverse health effects have been observed.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 34 values

PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) in nearby economies

• Angola — 19.91 (2023)
• Benin — 39.66 (2023)
• Botswana — 13.24 (2023)
• Burkina Faso — 37.32 (2023)
• Burundi — 35.69 (2023)
• Cabo Verde — 20.19 (2023)
• Cameroon — 55.6 (2023)
• Chad — 42.96 (2023)
• Comoros

More environment data for Central African Republic

• Population in largest city — 1.02 million (2025)
• Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 41.37% (2025)
• Rural population — 3.06 million (2025)
• Rural population (% of total population) — 55.45% (2025)
• Urban population — 2.46 million (2025)
• Urban population (% of total population) — 44.55% (2025)
• Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 410 (2024)
• Capture fisheries production (metric tons) — 29,000 (2024)
• Total fisheries production (metric tons) — 29,410 (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Central African Republic's PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter)?

33.29 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1990?

It is up 5.26% from 31.62 in 1990 (0.16% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 39.22 in 2011 and the lowest 30.33 in 2003.

How does Central African Republic rank?

39th highest of 200 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) unusual for Central African Republic?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network, uri: https://ghdx.healthdata.org/record/ihme-data/gbd-2023-air-pollution-exposure-estimates-1990-2023, note: Need to create account to retrieve data., publisher: Insti… Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.