UK: roadside PM2.5 concentrations 2023

The average concentration of PM2.5 measured at UK roadside sites was 7.7 micrograms per cubic meter air (µg/m3) in 2023. Roadside PM2.5 levels in central London have decreased by roughly 40 percent since 2017, owing to various policies like Ultra Low Emissions Zones and zero-emission vehicles. PM2.5 are defined as particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter and are responsible for thousands of premature deaths every year in the UK.

Annual mean roadside concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 in the United Kingdom from 2000 to 2023 (in micrograms per cubic meter air)

Characteristic	PM10	PM2.5*
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Release date

April 2024

More information

Region

United Kingdom

Survey time period

2000 to 2023

Supplementary notes

Figures have been rounded
*PM2.5 data is only available from 2009.

The Air Quality Standards Regulations 2010 require that concentrations of PM in the UK must not exceed:
An annual average of 40 µg/m3 for PM10;
A 24-hour average of 50 µg/m3 more than 35 times in a single year for PM10;
An annual average of 25 µg/m3 for PM2.5.

The Environmental Targets (Fine Particulate Matter) (England) Regulations 2023 require that in England by the end of 2040:
An annual average of 10 µg/m3 for PM2.5 is not exceeded at any monitoring station.
Population exposure to PM2.5 is at least 35% less than in 2018.

The Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 for England set interim targets that by January 2028:
An annual average of 12 µg/m3 for PM2.5 is not exceeded at any monitoring station.
Population exposure to PM2.5 is at least 22% less than in 2018.
This statistic using original data from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and includes copyright material licensed under © Crown, the Open Government License v3.0

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