PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure

200 countries, 2023. Unit: µg/m³.

First in the ranking
1.6 µg/m³
Greenland
Median country
17.3 µg/m³
half above, half below
World
32.9 µg/m³
World Bank aggregate
Range
1.6 to 107.8
Greenland - Qatar

How to read it

Across 200 countries worldwide, the highest value is in Qatar (107.8 µg/m³) and the lowest in Greenland (1.6 µg/m³).

The median country is at 17.3 µg/m³: half are above, half below.

For the world as a whole, the value fell from 36.3 µg/m³ in 1994 to 32.9 µg/m³ in 2023.

Population-weighted exposure to ambient PM2.5 pollution is defined as the average level of exposure of a nation's population to concentrations of suspended particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter, which are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and causing severe health damage. Exposure is calculated by weighting mean annual concentrations of PM2.5 by population in both…

Compare selected countries · on the world map

Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network, uri… · via World Bank WDI (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) · licence

PM2.5 exposure over time

µg/m³

Add to chart:

Ranking of countries

2023
In chart Continent Share of the highest value
1Greenland1.6North America
2Northern Mariana Islands2.7Oceania
3Guam3.5Oceania
4Federated States of Micronesia3.5Oceania
5Kiribati3.9Oceania
6Marshall Islands4.1Oceania
7American Samoa4.3Oceania
8Finland4.6Europe
9Samoa4.6Oceania
10Bermuda4.6North America
11Tonga4.7Oceania
12Nauru4.8Oceania
13Iceland4.9Europe
14Palau4.9Oceania
15Tuvalu5.2Oceania
16Sweden5.3Europe
17Bahamas5.3North America
18Norway5.5Europe
19Estonia5.9Europe
20Australia6.4Oceania
21Fiji6.4Oceania
22Canada6.6North America
23United States Virgin Islands6.8North America
24New Zealand6.9Oceania
25United States7.0North America
26Vanuatu7.0Oceania
27Luxembourg7.4Europe
28Denmark7.5Europe
29Ireland7.5Europe
30Brunei7.6Asia
31Puerto Rico7.8North America
32France8.2Europe
33Switzerland8.3Europe
34Antigua and Barbuda8.4North America
35Belgium8.4Europe
36Netherlands8.6Europe
37Portugal8.8Europe
38Germany8.8Europe
39Saint Kitts and Nevis8.9North America
40Andorra8.9Europe
41Seychelles9.3Africa
42Cuba9.4North America
43United Kingdom9.5Europe
44Solomon Islands9.8Oceania
45Austria10.0Europe
46Spain10.1Europe
47Comoros10.2Africa
48Saint Lucia10.4North America
49Saint Vincent and the Grenadines10.6North America
50Lithuania10.7Europe
51Malta10.8Europe
52Uruguay10.9South America
53Barbados10.9North America
54Grenada11.0North America
55Maldives11.2Asia
56Monaco11.4Europe
57Japan11.5Asia
58Dominica11.5North America
59Russia11.6Europe
60Belarus12.0Europe
61Timor-Leste12.0Asia
62Madagascar12.4Africa
63Slovenia12.6Europe
64San Marino12.7Europe
65Czechia12.7Europe
66Latvia13.0Europe
67Botswana13.2Africa
68Brazil13.4South America
69Dominican Republic13.5North America
70Hungary13.7Europe
71Slovakia13.7Europe
72Mozambique13.7Africa
73Trinidad and Tobago13.8North America
74Mauritius14.1Africa
75Papua New Guinea14.1Oceania
76Greece14.1Europe
77Namibia14.2Africa
78Italy14.3Europe
79Argentina14.3South America
80Ukraine14.9Europe
81Moldova14.9Europe
82Zimbabwe15.0Africa
83São Tomé and Principe15.1Africa
84Panama15.1North America
85Singapore15.1Asia
86Paraguay15.3South America
87Albania15.5Europe
88Suriname15.7South America
89Croatia15.8Europe
90Haiti15.8North America
91Malaysia15.9Asia
92Romania16.0Europe
93Cyprus16.1Asia
94Poland16.5Europe
95Algeria16.5Africa
96Mexico16.6North America
97Malawi16.7Africa
98Eswatini16.7Africa
99Belize16.8North America
100Guyana16.9South America
101Costa Rica17.7North America
102Liberia17.9Africa
103Colombia18.4South America
104Montenegro18.5Europe
105Somalia18.5Africa
106Georgia18.6Asia
107Ecuador18.6South America
108Morocco18.7Africa
109Tunisia18.9Africa
110Venezuela19.2South America
111Serbia19.3Europe
112Cambodia19.4Asia
113Kazakhstan19.6Asia
114Bulgaria19.7Europe
115Angola19.9Africa
116Libya20.0Africa
117Kyrgyzstan20.1Asia
118Tanzania20.2Africa
119Cabo Verde20.2Africa
120Zambia20.2Africa
121Kenya20.3Africa
122Côte d'Ivoire20.4Africa
123Nicaragua20.4North America
124Indonesia20.8Asia
125Jamaica21.7North America
126North Korea21.8Asia
127North Macedonia21.8Europe
128South Korea21.9Asia
129Israel21.9Asia
130Philippines22.2Asia
131Palestine22.4Asia
132Sierra Leone22.5Africa
133Sri Lanka22.7Asia
134Chile23.1South America
135Thailand23.5Asia
136South Sudan23.7Africa
137Azerbaijan23.7Asia
138Ethiopia23.8Africa
139Vietnam24.8Asia
140Laos26.0Asia
141Bosnia and Herzegovina26.1Europe
142Türkiye26.4Asia
143Lesotho26.4Africa
144Lebanon26.7Asia
145Guinea27.3Africa
146South Africa27.7Africa
147Bolivia28.1South America
148Ghana28.1Africa
149Armenia28.6Asia
150El Salvador29.6North America
151Guatemala29.7North America
152Bhutan30.1Asia
153Honduras30.7North America
154Peru31.1South America
155Uganda31.2Africa
156Turkmenistan31.2Asia
157Gabon31.3Africa
158China32.0Asia
159Syria32.1Asia
160Guinea-Bissau32.3Africa
161Jordan32.6Asia
162Uzbekistan32.8Asia
163Central African Republic33.3Africa
164Tajikistan33.3Asia
165Eritrea33.7Africa
166Togo34.3Africa
167Myanmar35.1Asia
168Mali35.5Africa
169Burundi35.7Africa
170Democratic Republic of the Congo35.8Africa
171Rwanda36.0Africa
172Republic of the Congo36.5Africa
173Burkina Faso37.3Africa
174Sudan37.6Africa
175Afghanistan37.9Asia
176The Gambia38.3Africa
177Benin39.7Africa
178Iran40.2Asia
179Djibouti40.3Africa
180Senegal41.6Africa
181Equatorial Guinea42.2Africa
182Mongolia42.7Asia
183Chad43.0Africa
184Egypt43.1Africa
185Mauritania46.5Africa
186Yemen46.8Asia
187Oman46.9Asia
188Iraq49.5Asia
189Nepal53.2Asia
190India54.1Asia
191Cameroon55.6Africa
192Bahrain56.6Asia
193United Arab Emirates57.2Asia
194Pakistan58.4Asia
195Kuwait62.3Asia
196Niger65.2Africa
197Nigeria65.7Africa
198Bangladesh69.3Asia
199Saudi Arabia73.5Asia
200Qatar107.8Asia
World Bank, WDI · EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3 · 2023 · CC BY 4.0 Source and licence

Biggest changes, 2013-2023

% change · 200 countries

Largest increase

  1. Nigeria 52.2 → 65.7 +26%
  2. Paraguay 12.2 → 15.3 +25%
  3. Benin 32.1 → 39.7 +24%
  4. Togo 28.5 → 34.3 +20%
  5. Puerto Rico 6.5 → 7.8 +20%

Largest decrease

  1. Luxembourg 14.3 → 7.4 −48%
  2. Belgium 15.7 → 8.4 −46%
  3. France 14.3 → 8.2 −42%
  4. Singapore 25.5 → 15.1 −41%
  5. China 51.7 → 32.0 −38%

Continents over time

median country of each continent

PM2.5 exposure - continent medians

µg/m³

Africa Asia Europe North America South America Oceania

0 10 20 30 40 1990 Africa: 26.35 Asia: 31.35 Europe: 24.39 North America: 12.97 South America: 26.79 Oceania: 5.21 1991 Africa: 25.76 Asia: 31.59 Europe: 24.44 North America: 13 South America: 26.45 Oceania: 5.32 1992 Africa: 25.97 Asia: 31.31 Europe: 24.09 North America: 12.99 South America: 26.39 Oceania: 5.39 1993 Africa: 26.22 Asia: 30.43 Europe: 23.75 North America: 12.98 South America: 26.33 Oceania: 5.45 1994 Africa: 26.43 Asia: 30.31 Europe: 23.4 North America: 12.98 South America: 26.46 Oceania: 5.52 1995 Africa: 26.24 Asia: 30.26 Europe: 23.81 North America: 13.04 South America: 26.02 Oceania: 5.32 1996 Africa: 26.81 Asia: 30.09 Europe: 22.76 North America: 12.97 South America: 26.68 Oceania: 5.65 1997 Africa: 26.99 Asia: 29.99 Europe: 22.49 North America: 12.96 South America: 26.69 Oceania: 5.72 1998 Africa: 27.18 Asia: 29.89 Europe: 22.17 North America: 12.96 South America: 26.68 Oceania: 5.79 1999 Africa: 27.37 Asia: 29.93 Europe: 21.8 North America: 12.95 South America: 26.67 Oceania: 5.86 2000 Africa: 27.86 Asia: 30.38 Europe: 21.1 North America: 12.91 South America: 27.04 Oceania: 5.88 2001 Africa: 26.06 Asia: 30.46 Europe: 20.31 North America: 12.7 South America: 25.63 Oceania: 5.84 2002 Africa: 26.5 Asia: 30.6 Europe: 21.34 North America: 13.19 South America: 25.7 Oceania: 5.64 2003 Africa: 25.85 Asia: 30.97 Europe: 21.05 North America: 11.91 South America: 26.82 Oceania: 5.53 2004 Africa: 27.91 Asia: 30.03 Europe: 18.42 North America: 11.32 South America: 24.72 Oceania: 5.15 2005 Africa: 26.83 Asia: 29.96 Europe: 19.34 North America: 11.98 South America: 24.53 Oceania: 5.51 2006 Africa: 25.55 Asia: 28.74 Europe: 17.77 North America: 11.75 South America: 20.94 Oceania: 5.32 2007 Africa: 26.92 Asia: 29.36 Europe: 16.88 North America: 10.96 South America: 18.41 Oceania: 5.24 2008 Africa: 27.94 Asia: 29.68 Europe: 17.06 North America: 11.62 South America: 18.38 Oceania: 5.26 2009 Africa: 27.7 Asia: 28.67 Europe: 16.61 North America: 12.5 South America: 17.96 Oceania: 5.34 2010 Africa: 28.89 Asia: 30.82 Europe: 17.21 North America: 13.19 South America: 19.54 Oceania: 5.06 2011 Africa: 28.74 Asia: 28.86 Europe: 16.89 North America: 10.64 South America: 17.99 Oceania: 4.87 2012 Africa: 27.86 Asia: 26.81 Europe: 16.35 North America: 12.49 South America: 18.06 Oceania: 5.19 2013 Africa: 26.49 Asia: 28.5 Europe: 15.31 North America: 10.05 South America: 17.44 Oceania: 5.78 2014 Africa: 24.6 Asia: 28.95 Europe: 14.16 North America: 9.36 South America: 16.92 Oceania: 5.42 2015 Africa: 27.68 Asia: 28.86 Europe: 14.42 North America: 12.39 South America: 18.32 Oceania: 5.82 2016 Africa: 25.4 Asia: 27.6 Europe: 13.54 North America: 11.7 South America: 18.14 Oceania: 4.69 2017 Africa: 27.9 Asia: 27.25 Europe: 13.59 North America: 12.16 South America: 17.49 Oceania: 4.95 2018 Africa: 26.59 Asia: 28.19 Europe: 13.55 North America: 10.6 South America: 17.13 Oceania: 4.85 2019 Africa: 25.47 Asia: 27.95 Europe: 12.52 North America: 10.71 South America: 17.76 Oceania: 5.52 2020 Africa: 27.16 Asia: 27.6 Europe: 12.14 North America: 11.35 South America: 18.96 Oceania: 4.44 2021 Africa: 27.11 Asia: 28.88 Europe: 12.32 North America: 12.35 South America: 17.57 Oceania: 4.62 2022 Africa: 28.06 Asia: 27.84 Europe: 11.87 North America: 10.99 South America: 18.13 Oceania: 5.3 2023 Africa: 26.85 Asia: 27.62 Europe: 11.47 North America: 11.03 South America: 17.65 Oceania: 4.84 1990 2000 2005 2010 2015 2023

By continent

median country
Africa 26.9 µg/m³
Asia 27.6 µg/m³
Europe 11.5 µg/m³
North America 11.0 µg/m³
South America 17.7 µg/m³
Oceania 4.8 µg/m³

Tick a country in the table to add it to the chart above, up to six at a time. The ranking uses the latest year for which at least half of the countries have a value; countries without a value that year are not listed.