A3: Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air
Short Description
This indicator is a measure of the level of long-term exposure of people to harmful airborne fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Long-term exposure to particulate matter contributes to the risk of developing diseases such as cardiovascular disease and lung cancer. The main sources of PM2.5 pollution are industrial processes, combustion in residential, public, commercial, and agricultural sectors and road transport.
This indicator is an assessment of clean air (reporting the condition of the atmosphere as an asset). The indicator is determined by calculating the annual population-weighted mean concentration of PM2.5 in the air, assessed as background concentrations per 1 kilometre square. Background concentrations are estimated based on a combination of monitored and modelled data. The population-weighted mean concentration is used as a measure of the impact of PM2.5 on the health of the total population. Greater weighting is given to concentrations of PM2.5 in urban areas to reflect the higher population density as those concentrations will affect a greater number of people. In addition, people living in urban areas are generally exposed to greater levels of PM2.5 than those living in rural areas.
Readiness and links to data
Data on PM2.5 are published annually at UK Air Information Resource, Modelled background pollution data. These data differ from the monitoring data used to assess compliance with the PM2.5 targets (The Environmental Targets (Fine Particulate Matter) (England) Regulations 2023 (legislation.gov.uk)). The A3 indicator is under review and may be updated to better align with the new targets. In the meantime, data on target progress can be found on the PM2.5 Targets (PERT and AMCT) page of the UK Air website.
Indicator components
Figure A3: Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in England, 2011 to 2022
Table A3: Concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in England, 2011 to 2022
| Year | Value |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 12.09 |
| 2012 | 11.11 |
| 2013 | 11.52 |
| 2014 | 11.17 |
| 2015 | 9.42 |
| 2016 | 9.99 |
| 2017 | 9.41 |
| 2018 | 9.52 |
| 2019 | 9.57 |
| 2020 | 7.54 |
| 2021 | 7.35 |
| 2022 | 7.79 |
Trend description for A3
Population-weighted annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 in England have fallen from 12.1 micrograms per cubic metre (μg per m3) in 2011 to 7.8 μg per m3 in 2022, a decrease of 35.6% over the latest 11 years for which data are available.
Assessment of change
Concentrations of PM2.5 have shown a decrease (improvement) over the short and medium-term assessment periods. The time series is not yet long enough to make a trend assessment over the long-term time period. This assessment does not consider whether these improvements are on a sufficient scale for meeting any targets. Assessment of progress towards the Environment Act PM2.5 targets is based on measured data only and information on this can be found on the UK-Air website.
Change since 2018 has also been assessed. A decrease (improvement) in concentrations of fine particulate matter was also observed since 2018. However, this result is based on only 5 data points so should be considered as indicative and not evidence of a clear trend. Some variance is also expected from year to year as concentrations of PM2.5 can be affected by weather conditions and a range of other variables.
Further information on this assessment, along with details on the methodology, is provided in the Assessment background page. Summaries by 25 Year Environment Plan goal and information on indicator links are presented in the Assessment results pages.
Table A3: Assessment of change
| Component | Period | Date range | Percentage change | Smoothing function | Assessment of change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A3 | Short term | 2016 to 2021 | -18.67 | Loess | Improvement |
| A3 | Medium term | 2011 to 2021 | -34.68 | Loess | Improvement |
| A3 | Long term | N/A | N/A | N/A | Not assessed |
Note that assessment categories were assigned based on smoothed data, so percentage change figures in Table A3 may differ from unsmoothed values quoted elsewhere. Percentage change refers to the difference seen from the first to last year in the specified date range.