Exposure to NO2 annual mean

Population exposure to high NO₂ concentrations is decreasing. In 1990, the entire Belgian population was still exposed to annual average NO₂ concentrations above the WHO recommended value of 10 µg/m³, in 2000 this was 98.3% of the population and in 2010 97.3%. In recent years, this proportion has fallen sharply, to 49.1% in 2024. Since 2014, no one, at the level of the RIO grid cells, has been exposed to annual average concentrations above the EU limit value of 40 µg/m³.

Population exposure is estimated based on spatial interpolation of measurements and population numbers per grid cell of 4x4 km². Locally, higher or lower concentrations may be measured than the values calculated by the RIO interpolation method. Although the figure shows no exposure to elevated concentrations ( > 40 µg/m³) since 2014, locally parts of the population have been exposed to concentrations above 40 µg/m³.

Percentage of the Belgian population exposed to annual mean NO₂ concentrations. All data were calculated based on the RIO interpolation technique.