The latest World Health Organization (WHO) Air Quality guidelines (AQG) recommend that annual average concentrations of PM2.5 should not exceed five micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m3). However, annual average PM2.5 levels in major global cities, such as Mumbai, Beijing, and Cairo, are often far higher than the recommended limit.
The new PM2.5 AQG is an improvement from the previous limit of 10 μg/m3 in 2005. Average annual nitrogen dioxide guidelines have also become stricter since 2005, falling from 40 μg/m3 to 10 μg/m3.
World Health Organization (WHO) Global air quality guidelines (AQG) in 2005 and 2021, by pollutant and averaging time
(in micrograms per cubic meter)
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World Health Organization (WHO) Global air quality guidelines (AQG) in 2005 and 2021, by pollutant and averaging time
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Annual and peak season is long-term exposure, while 24-hour and 8-hour is short-term exposure.
Supplementary notes
*99th percentile (i.e. 3–4 exceedance days per year). **Average of daily maximum 8-hour mean O3 concentration in the six consecutive months with the highest six-month running-average O3 concentration.
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WHO. (September 22, 2021). World Health Organization (WHO) Global air quality guidelines (AQG) in 2005 and 2021, by pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 28, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446298/global-air-quality-standards-by-pollutant/
WHO. "World Health Organization (WHO) Global air quality guidelines (AQG) in 2005 and 2021, by pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter)." Chart. September 22, 2021. Statista. Accessed April 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446298/global-air-quality-standards-by-pollutant/
WHO. (2021). World Health Organization (WHO) Global air quality guidelines (AQG) in 2005 and 2021, by pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 28, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446298/global-air-quality-standards-by-pollutant/
WHO. "World Health Organization (Who) Global Air Quality Guidelines (Aqg) in 2005 and 2021, by Pollutant and Averaging Time (in Micrograms per Cubic Meter)." Statista, Statista Inc., 22 Sep 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446298/global-air-quality-standards-by-pollutant/
WHO, World Health Organization (WHO) Global air quality guidelines (AQG) in 2005 and 2021, by pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446298/global-air-quality-standards-by-pollutant/ (last visited April 28, 2025)
World Health Organization (WHO) Global air quality guidelines (AQG) in 2005 and 2021, by pollutant and averaging time (in micrograms per cubic meter) [Graph], WHO, September 22, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1446298/global-air-quality-standards-by-pollutant/
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