Roadside concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in inner London reduced by 41 percent between 2016 and 2023, while those in outer London fell by just over 30 percent. Roadside concentrations of PM2.5 in the UK have fallen by more than 50 percent since 2011. PM2.5 are defined as particulate matter of 2.5 micrometers or less in diameter, and are linked with numerous adverse health impacts in humans, including strokes and premature death.
Reductions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type
Location and site type
Change in PM2.5 concentrations relative to 2016 levels
The source adds the following information about the different monitoring types:
Roadside sites are generally within one to five meters of a busy road and usually located around adult breathing height. These sites give the best estimate of public exposure along busy roads. Roadside sites are useful for identifying air quality hotspots due to traffic that may have potential health impacts - especially those frequented by large numbers of pedestrians.
Urban background sites are located further away from sources of emissions and are not influenced by one single nearby pollution source. In London, traffic is the main source for background sites to avoid, and there are guidelines about how close background sites can be to roads. The benefit of urban background sites is they are usually representative of all other urban background locations within an area of several square kilometers. For this analysis, “Suburban” and “Urban Centre” sites have been treated as “Urban Background”.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how Statista can support your business.
Mayor of London. (March 7, 2024). Reductions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 23, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471241/reduction-percentage-of-pm25-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London. "Reductions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type." Chart. March 7, 2024. Statista. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471241/reduction-percentage-of-pm25-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London. (2024). Reductions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 23, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471241/reduction-percentage-of-pm25-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London. "Reductions in Fine Particulate Matter (Pm2.5) Concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by Location and Site Type." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Mar 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471241/reduction-percentage-of-pm25-levels-in-london/
Mayor of London, Reductions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471241/reduction-percentage-of-pm25-levels-in-london/ (last visited December 23, 2024)
Reductions in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in London between 2016 and 2023, by location and site type [Graph], Mayor of London, March 7, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1471241/reduction-percentage-of-pm25-levels-in-london/
