{"analytics_identifier":null,"base_path":"/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/pm25-targets-pert-and-amct","content_id":"7d3075f7-198e-40b3-be9f-301683cf967e","description":null,"details":{"body":"<div class=\"govspeak\"><h4 id=\"accredited-official-statistics\">Accredited Official Statistics</h4>\n\n<h1 id=\"air-quality-statistics-in-the-uk-1987-to-2025---summary\">Air quality statistics in the UK, 1987 to 2025 - Summary</h1>\n\n<h5 id=\"updated-30th-june-2026\">Updated 30th June 2026</h5>\n\n<h2 id=\"overview\">1. Overview</h2>\n\n<p>The Environment Act 2021 established a new framework for environmental\ntargets for England. The <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/96/contents/made\">Environmental Targets (fine particulate\nmatter) (England) Regulations\n(2023</a>) set\ntargets under this framework for the air pollutant most harmful to\nhealth – <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/concentrations-of-particulate-matter-pm10-and-pm25\">fine particulate matter\n(PM2.5)</a>.\nThe two targets to be met by 2040 are:</p>\n\n<ul>\n  <li>\n    <p>Annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 to be 10 µg m<sup>-3</sup> or\nlower</p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>Population exposure to PM2.5 to be reduced by at least 35 per cent\ncompared to 2018 levels</p>\n  </li>\n</ul>\n\n<p>The two targets are designed to work together to drive actions that both\nreduce concentrations where it is highest and reduce the pollution that\neveryone in the country experiences.</p>\n\n<p>Interim targets for 2030 were published in the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/environmental-improvement-plan-2025/environmental-improvement-plan-eip-2025\">Environmental\nImprovement Plan\n2025</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Information on progress towards these targets is provided below. An\noverview of the targets themselves can be found\n<a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/pm25targets/overview\">here</a> and evidence\nrelating to development of the targets can be found\n<a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/library/reports?section_id=22\">here</a>.</p>\n\n<p>Progress towards both targets is assessed using measurements of PM2.5\nconcentration from the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/guidance/air-pollution-monitoring-automatic-urban-and-rural-network-aurn\">Automatic Urban and Rural Network\n(AURN</a>).\nThis is the UK’s highest quality network of air quality monitoring\nstations. The AURN is being expanded to support this assessment.\nInformation on how PM2.5 is measured can be found on the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-standards-for-air-quality-monitoring-instruments\">UK standards\nfor monitoring instruments\npage</a>.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"the-annual-mean-concentration-target\">2. The annual mean concentration target</h2>\n\n<p>The annual mean concentration target (AMCT) requires that annual mean\nconcentrations of PM2.5 are 10 µg m<sup>-3</sup> or lower by 2040.\nCompliance is measured at all AURN monitoring stations in England, for more information on how the AMCT is calculated, see the <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/methodology-for-calculating-progress-towards-the-pm25-targets\">methodology page</a></p>\n\n<p>The annual mean concentration is the mean average of the concentration\nof PM2.5 measured at a particular monitoring station over the duration\nof a year. Annual mean concentrations can vary from year-to-year due to\na range of factors, such as weather conditions and how much pollution is\nemitted to the air. A reduction in the maximum annual mean concentration\nmeasured, and a reduction in the number of locations above the AMCT,\nshows that concentrations are reducing in the areas where they are the\nhighest.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Figure 12a: The annual mean PM2.5 concentration measured at monitoring\nstations in England from 2009 to 2025.</strong></p>\n\n<figure class=\"image embedded\"><div class=\"img\"><img src=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3e6c6633bc5beefd3c4bb4/fig12a_amct_plot.svg\" alt=\"\"></div></figure>\n\n<p>Notes:</p>\n\n<ol>\n  <li>Concentrations have been rounded to the nearest integer</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3e6cb6eaee00074150f644/fig12a_amct_plot_v2.csv/preview\">View the data for this chart</a></p>\n\n<p><a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3e6cb6eaee00074150f644/fig12a_amct_plot_v2.csv\">Download the data for this chart in CSV format</a></p>\n\n<p>In 2025, the highest measured annual mean concentration was 12 µg m<sup>-3</sup>\nand 97 per cent of AURN monitoring stations in England which met the\nrequired data capture threshold (111 individual AURN stations) were\nequal to or below the 10 µg m<sup>-3</sup> target. This is a 6 µg m<sup>-3</sup> reduction in\nthe highest annual mean concentrations over the 15 year period since\n2009. In 2009, the highest annual average concentration was 18 µg m<sup>-3</sup>\nand 11 per cent of stations were equal to or below the AMCT (3\nindividual AURN stations).</p>\n\n<p>Concentrations have decreased from 2009 to 2025 at all monitoring\nstations. The distribution has also narrowed as the highest\nconcentrations have reduced more than the average.</p>\n\n<p>While the trends for each station vary, concentrations have been\ndecreasing at the majority of monitoring stations over the last five\nyears. The large decrease in the concentrations at most stations over\nthe past five years is thought to be mainly due to decreases in both UK\nand European secondary PM2.5. Secondary PM2.5 refers to PM2.5 that has\nnot been directly emitted but has formed in the atmosphere through the\ninteraction of other air pollutants.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Figure 12b: Number of monitoring stations in England above and below\nthe AMCT from 2009 to 2025.</strong></p>\n\n<figure class=\"image embedded\"><div class=\"img\"><img src=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3e6c6630b491f55b3c4b16/fig12b_amct_plot_v3.svg\" alt=\"\"></div></figure>\n\n<p>Notes:</p>\n\n<ol>\n  <li>‘Above AMCT’ refers to annual mean concentrations above 10 µg m-3</li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3e6cc4da47783d87723bd3/fig12b_amct_plot_v3.csv/preview\">View the data for this chart</a></p>\n\n<p><a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3e6cc4da47783d87723bd3/fig12b_amct_plot_v3.csv\">Download the data for this chart in CSV format</a></p>\n\n<p>The number of stations below the AMCT has been increasing over time.\nIn 2025, three monitoring stations recorded concentrations above the\nAMCT (Camden Kerbside, Stanford-le-Hope and London Marylebone Road).\nMore information about these monitoring stations can be found on the\n<a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://get-air-pollution-data.service.gov.uk/\">Get Air Pollution Data\nservice</a>. Concentrations\nmonitored at most stations were higher in 2025 than in 2024. This may be\nin part due to the adverse effects of the weather conditions experienced\nin the spring of 2025. These weather conditions saw extensive high\npressure over the UK in March 2025, which led to settled conditions for\nmost of the month. These conditions would have resulted in less\ndispersion of PM2.5. In addition to this, March 2025 saw an unusual\neasterly wind direction which would likely have brought pollutants from\nmainland Europe – see <a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/api/assets/file/mwr_2025_03_for_print_v1pdf?prefix=assets\">Met Office\nreport.</a></p>\n\n<p>The number of PM2.5 monitoring stations in England is being increased as\npart of a network expansion programme which will affect these statistics\nover the next few years. There were 35 more stations used to assess\nprogress in 2025 than in 2024, 114 met the inclusion criteria in 2025 up\nfrom 79 in 2024.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"the-population-exposure-reduction-target\">3. The population exposure reduction target</h2>\n\n<p>The population exposure reduction target (PERT) is a minimum percentage\nreduction in population exposure between the base year (2018) and the\ntarget deadline (2040). Population exposure is represented by the\nPopulation Exposure Indicator (PEI), calculated using measurements of\nannual mean concentration at representative monitoring stations. The\nmonitoring stations used for assessment against the PERT are spread\ngeographically across England, reflect population density, and are\nlocated in areas where concentrations are typical of where most people\nin that region live. Monitoring stations characterised as ‘urban\nbackground’ (and, in some instances, ‘suburban background’) meet these\ncriteria. Other considerations, such as representing areas of\ndeprivation, are also taken into account when establishing new stations.</p>\n\n<p>The PEI is a three-year average to reduce interannual variability due to\nfactors such as weather and other temporary external events and provide\na more stable trend. Population exposure has an established link with\nhealth impacts, so a decrease in the PEI represents a reduction in the\nrisk to the nation’s health from PM2.5.</p>\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/methodology-for-calculating-progress-towards-the-pm25-targets\">calculation\napproach</a>\nincorporates a statistical method recommended by experts to account for\nthe large change in the number of PM2.5 monitoring stations expected due\nto the ongoing expansion of the network. A direct comparison of the PEI\nin 2040 with 2018 may otherwise be influenced by network changes. The\nsolution involves calculating yearly increments in PEI using the same\ncohort of monitoring stations, then summing the increments and comparing\nthis with the base year PEI. The <a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/groups/air-quality-expert-group\">Air Quality Expert Group\n(AQEG)</a>\nwere engaged in the development of this approach.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"pert-progress\">4. PERT progress</h2>\n\n<p>As of 2025, population exposure has reduced by 26 per cent compared to\n2018.</p>\n\n<p>The PEI is shown for each year in table 1 below, measured in µg m<sup>-3</sup>. A\nthird column shows the absolute change in PEI compared to the previous\nyear. A fourth column then shows the cumulative change, i.e., the total\nchange since 2018 (i.e. the PEI base year). The fifth column shows the\ntotal percentage change in PEI since 2018.</p>\n\n<p>The base year population exposure index, PEI<sub>base</sub>, has been\ncalculated to be 10.09 µg m<sup>-3</sup>. In 2025, the PEI is 7.51 µg m<sup>-3</sup>, which represents a yearly change in PEI of -0.06 µg m<sup>-3</sup>. This represents a 26 per cent reduction since 2018 (-2.58 µg m<sup>-3</sup>).</p>\n\n<p><strong>Table 1:</strong></p>\n\n<table>\n  <thead>\n    <tr>\n      <th scope=\"col\">Year</th>\n      <th scope=\"col\">PEI  (µg m-3)</th>\n      <th scope=\"col\">Yearly change in PEI  (µg m-3)</th>\n      <th scope=\"col\">Total change in PEI since 2018  (µg m-3)</th>\n      <th scope=\"col\">Total change in PEI since 2018  (%)</th>\n    </tr>\n  </thead>\n  <tbody>\n    <tr>\n      <td>2019</td>\n      <td>10.02</td>\n      <td>-0.07</td>\n      <td>-0.07</td>\n      <td>-1</td>\n    </tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>2020</td>\n      <td>9.41</td>\n      <td>-0.61</td>\n      <td>-0.68</td>\n      <td>-7</td>\n    </tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>2021</td>\n      <td>8.68</td>\n      <td>-0.73</td>\n      <td>-1.41</td>\n      <td>-14</td>\n    </tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>2022</td>\n      <td>8.11</td>\n      <td>-0.57</td>\n      <td>-1.98</td>\n      <td>-20</td>\n    </tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>2023</td>\n      <td>7.86</td>\n      <td>-0.25</td>\n      <td>-2.23</td>\n      <td>-22</td>\n    </tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>2024</td>\n      <td>7.56</td>\n      <td>-0.30</td>\n      <td>-2.53</td>\n      <td>-25</td>\n    </tr>\n    <tr>\n      <td>2025</td>\n      <td>7.51</td>\n      <td>-0.06</td>\n      <td>-2.58</td>\n      <td>-26</td>\n    </tr>\n  </tbody>\n</table>\n\n<p>Progress is also shown in Figure 12c. Green bars represent decreases,\nshowing that population exposure to PM2.5 has been decreasing since\n2018. The dashed lines in the graph show the 2030 interim target of 30\nper cent and the legally binding target of 35 per cent for 2040.</p>\n\n<p><strong>Figure 12c: Percentage change in population exposure to PM2.5 since 2018: 2019 to 2025</strong></p>\n\n<figure class=\"image embedded\"><div class=\"img\"><img src=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3e6c664c7605ab56723bce/fig12c_pert_progress.svg\" alt=\"\"></div></figure>\n\n<p>Notes</p>\n\n<ol>\n  <li>\n    <p>The ‘2030 Interim Target’ refers to the Interim PM2.5 Environment\nAct PERT set in the Environmental Improvement Plan published in 2025</p>\n  </li>\n  <li>\n    <p>The ‘2040 Legal Target’ refers to the Environment Act 2021 PERT set\nin The Environmental Targets (Fine Particulate Matter) (England)\nRegulations 2023.</p>\n  </li>\n</ol>\n\n<p><a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3babbc33bc5beefd3c4847/fig12c_pert_progress.csv/preview\">View the data for this chart</a></p>\n\n<p><a rel=\"external\" href=\"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a3babbc33bc5beefd3c4847/fig12c_pert_progress.csv\">Download the data for this chart in CSV format</a></p>\n\n<p>The PM2.5 concentrations that people in England are exposed to are\ndecreasing over time, as represented by a reduction in the PEI for each\nyear from 2019 to 2025.</p>\n\n<p>In 2025, the total change in the PEI was a 26 per cent reduction\ncompared to the 2018 baseline year. This is an additional 1 per cent\nreduction since 2024.</p>\n\n<p>As the PERT metric is based on a three-year average, there is less\nvariation than is typically seen with annual concentrations.</p>\n\n<p>Analysis commissioned by Defra (currently unpublished) suggests that the\nlarge decrease from 2020 onwards is likely due to decreases in both UK\nand European secondary PM2.5. The adverse weather conditions in spring\n2025 also likely resulted in higher concentrations of PM than were\nrecorded in 2024.</p>\n\n<h2 id=\"sections-in-this-release\">5. Sections in this release</h2>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-statistics/summary\">Summary</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-statistics/background\">Background to concentrations of air\npollutants</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-statistics/ntrogen-dioxide\">Concentrations of nitrogen\ndioxide</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-statistics/concentrations-of-particulate-matter-pm10-and-pm25\">Concentrations of particulate matter (PM10 and\nPM2.5)</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/methodology-for-calculating-progress-towards-the-pm25-targets\">Methodology for calculating progress towards the PM2.5 targets</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-statistics/concentrations-of-ozone\">Concentrations of\nozone</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-statistics/days-with-moderate-or-higher-air-pollution-includes-sulphur-dioxide\">Days with ‘Moderate’ or higher air pollution (includes sulphur\ndioxide)</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/air-quality-statistics/statement-of-compliance-with-code-of-practice-and-recent-changes-to-the-publication\">Compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics and Defra group\nStatistics quality principles, and recent changes to the\npublication</a></p>\n\n<p><a href=\"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/env02-air-quality-statistics\">Statistical tables (ENV02 – Air quality\nstatistics)</a></p>\n</div>","first_published_version":false,"headers":[{"id":"overview","level":2,"text":"1. Overview"},{"id":"the-annual-mean-concentration-target","level":2,"text":"2. The annual mean concentration target"},{"id":"the-population-exposure-reduction-target","level":2,"text":"3. The population exposure reduction target"},{"id":"pert-progress","level":2,"text":"4. PERT progress"},{"id":"sections-in-this-release","level":2,"text":"5. Sections in this release"}],"political":false,"public_timestamp":"2026-06-30T09:30:07.000+01:00"},"document_type":"html_publication","first_published_at":"2026-06-30T09:30:09+01:00","links":{"available_translations":[{"api_path":"/api/content/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/pm25-targets-pert-and-amct","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/pm25-targets-pert-and-amct","base_path":"/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/pm25-targets-pert-and-amct","content_id":"7d3075f7-198e-40b3-be9f-301683cf967e","document_type":"html_publication","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-06-30T08:30:07Z","schema_name":"html_publication","title":"PM2.5 targets (PERT and AMCT)","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics/pm25-targets-pert-and-amct","withdrawn":false}],"government":[{"api_path":"/api/content/government/2010-to-2015-conservative-and-liberal-democrat-coalition-government","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/2010-to-2015-conservative-and-liberal-democrat-coalition-government","base_path":"/government/2010-to-2015-conservative-and-liberal-democrat-coalition-government","content_id":"591c83aa-3b74-437d-a342-612bddd97572","details":{"current":false,"ended_on":"2015-05-08T00:00:00+00:00","started_on":"2010-05-12T00:00:00+00:00"},"document_type":"government","links":{},"locale":"en","title":"2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/2010-to-2015-conservative-and-liberal-democrat-coalition-government"}],"organisations":[{"analytics_identifier":"D7","api_path":"/api/content/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","base_path":"/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","content_id":"de4e9dc6-cca4-43af-a594-682023b84d6c","details":{"acronym":"Defra","brand":"department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","default_news_image":{"high_resolution_url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a37dad140f0b649cceb1813/s960_defra-sign-grey.jpg","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a37dad1ed915d5a62fdc6d6/s300_defra-sign-grey.jpg"},"logo":{"crest":"single-identity","formatted_title":"Department<br/>for Environment,<br/>Food &amp; Rural Affairs"},"organisation_govuk_status":{"status":"live","updated_at":null,"url":null}},"document_type":"organisation","links":{},"locale":"en","schema_name":"organisation","title":"Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","withdrawn":false}],"parent":[{"api_path":"/api/content/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics","base_path":"/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics","content_id":"5d60e01d-7631-11e4-a3cb-005056011aef","document_type":"national_statistics","links":{},"locale":"en","public_updated_at":"2026-06-30T08:30:07Z","schema_name":"publication","title":"Air quality statistics","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-quality-statistics","withdrawn":false}],"primary_publishing_organisation":[{"analytics_identifier":"D7","api_path":"/api/content/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","api_url":"https://www.gov.uk/api/content/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","base_path":"/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","content_id":"de4e9dc6-cca4-43af-a594-682023b84d6c","details":{"acronym":"Defra","brand":"department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","default_news_image":{"high_resolution_url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a37dad140f0b649cceb1813/s960_defra-sign-grey.jpg","url":"https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a37dad1ed915d5a62fdc6d6/s300_defra-sign-grey.jpg"},"logo":{"crest":"single-identity","formatted_title":"Department<br/>for Environment,<br/>Food &amp; Rural Affairs"},"organisation_govuk_status":{"status":"live","updated_at":null,"url":null}},"document_type":"organisation","links":{},"locale":"en","schema_name":"organisation","title":"Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs","web_url":"https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-environment-food-rural-affairs","withdrawn":false}]},"locale":"en","phase":"live","public_updated_at":"2026-06-30T09:30:07+01:00","publishing_app":"whitehall","publishing_request_id":"21-1784216855.359-10.13.22.223-2568","publishing_scheduled_at":null,"rendering_app":"frontend","scheduled_publishing_delay_seconds":null,"schema_name":"html_publication","title":"PM2.5 targets (PERT and AMCT)","updated_at":"2026-07-23T20:17:02+01:00","withdrawn_notice":{}}