Mauritania's PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) was 46.5 in 2023, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 8.69% from 42.78 in 2013 (0.84% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 46.5 | 2023 |
| Five years earlier | 46.47 | 2018 |
| Ten years earlier | 42.78 | 2013 |
| Highest | 54.1 | 2012 |
| Lowest | 41.94 | 2001 |
| Average since 2014 | 47.15 | 2014–2023 |
| First recorded | 48.13 | 1990 |
What the numbers say
In 2023, Mauritania's PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) rose 1.46 on 2022 (from 45.04 to 46.5).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was −0.13 and a typical year strayed about 4.1 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 9.07 in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 11.32 in 2013. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 8% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2023, Mauritania had the 17th 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Mauritania | 46.5 | 2023 |
| World | 32.87 | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 35.44 | 2023 |
| Lower middle income | 49.57 | 2023 |
Closest to Mauritania in the 2023 ranking
- Iraq — 13th of 200: 49.47
- Oman — 14th of 200: 46.86
- Yemen, Rep. — 15th of 200: 46.84
- Egypt, Arab Rep. — 17th of 200: 43.15
- Chad — 18th of 200: 42.96
- Mongolia — 19th of 200: 42.69
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
| Year | PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 46.5 |
| 2022 | 45.04 |
| 2021 | 48.99 |
| 2020 | 45.45 |
| 2019 | 43.69 |
| 2018 | 46.47 |
| 2017 | 50.45 |
| 2016 | 47.91 |
| 2015 | 53.02 |
| 2014 | 43.95 |
| 2013 |
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)
- Central African Republic — 33.29 (2023)
- Chad
More environment data for Mauritania
- Population in largest city — 1.61 million (2025)
- Population in the largest city (% of urban population) — 49.35% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million — 1.61 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population) — 30.35% (2025)
- Rural population — 2.05 million (2025)
- Rural population (% of total population) — 38.51% (2025)
- Urban population — 3.27 million (2025)
- Urban population (% of total population) — 61.49% (2025)
- Aquaculture production (metric tons) — 0 (2024)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Mauritania's PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter)?
- 46.5 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1990?
- It is down 3.39% from 48.13 in 1990 (0.1% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 54.1 in 2012 and the lowest 41.94 in 2001.
- How does Mauritania rank?
- 17th 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 Mauritania?
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.
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