Metric permalink
Air pollution (PM2.5)
Part of the Environment and Climate domain. Population-weighted annual mean fine-particulate (PM2.5) concentration, the air pollutant most strongly linked to mortality.
Latest data
Latest reading
2024
A higher reading is treated as worse for this indicator.
Score composition
Stress score
Blended from three components: (60% weight), trend (30% weight) and volatility (10% weight). Full formula on the methodology page.
Level · 60% weight
Percentile: this metric is scored against its own history, where today sits between its best and worst recorded years.
Trend · 30% weight
Measured from the direction and size of the change between the two most recent readings.
Volatility · 10% weight
75Measured from how much this indicator has swung period on period across its recorded history.
Data confidence and provenance
Confidence and source
How much weight to put on the reading, the mean data-confidence across the component metrics (source quality, recency and completeness).
Source
Air quality statistics (population-weighted PM2.5)
- Update frequency
- Annual
- Reliability
- high
Provenance
- Provider
- Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
- Series ID
- defra_air_quality
- Frequency
- Annual
- Accessed
- 14 June 2026
Known weakness
England, from DEFRA's modelled population-weighted PCM data; concentrations are weather-sensitive year to year and the statutory 10 micrograms target is assessed on a three-year mean.
Notes
Verified official value from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (defra_air_quality), accessed 2026-06-14.
Historical values
History
| Period | Value | Relative |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 12.1 | |
| 2013 | 11.5 | |
| 2015 | 9.42 | |
| 2017 | 9.41 | |
| 2019 | 9.57 | |
| 2020 | 7.54 | |
| 2021 | 7.35 | |
| 2022 | 7.79 | |
| 2023 | 6.97 | |
| 2024 | 7.06 |