PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) by country
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...
Countries reporting
200
Highest
107.76 micrograms per cubic meter
Qatar
Lowest
1.64 micrograms per cubic meter
Greenland
Median
17.32 micrograms per cubic meter
Years covered
34
1990–2023
Data points
8,398
What the numbers show
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter) is currently reported for 200 countries. The highest value is 107.76 micrograms per cubic meter in Qatar; the lowest is 1.64 micrograms per cubic meter in Greenland.
The median across all reporting countries is 17.32 micrograms per cubic meter, and the mean is 21.67 micrograms per cubic meter.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 66.
Over the past decade 72 countries rose and 128 fell. The largest increase was in Nigeria (up 25.8%), and the largest decrease in Luxembourg (down 48.0%).
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Qatar | 107.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 10.7% | flat |
| 2 | Saudi Arabia | 73.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 0.7% | rising |
| 3 | Bangladesh | 69.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 4 | Nigeria | 65.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 25.8% | flat |
| 5 | Niger | 65.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 14.3% | rising |
| 6 | Kuwait | 62.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 7 | Pakistan | 58.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 7.6% | flat |
| 8 | United Arab Emirates | 57.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 2.3% | flat |
| 9 | Bahrain | 56.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 4.2% | falling |
| 10 | Cameroon | 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 5.3% | rising |
| 11 | India | 54.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 12 | Nepal | 53.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 6.6% | rising |
| 13 | Iraq | 49.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 3.4% | rising |
| 14 | Oman | 46.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 1.7% | rising |
| 15 | Yemen | 46.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 9.7% | rising |
| 16 | Mauritania | 46.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 8.7% | falling |
| 17 | Egypt | 43.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 18 | Chad | 42.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 19 | Mongolia | 42.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 6.0% | rising |
| 20 | Equatorial Guinea | 42.22 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 7.6% | flat |
| 21 | Senegal | 41.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 15.3% | falling |
| 22 | Djibouti | 40.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.2% | rising |
| 23 | Iran | 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 24 | Benin | 39.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 23.7% | falling |
| 25 | Gambia | 38.27 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 17.6% | falling |
| 26 | Afghanistan | 37.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 3.6% | falling |
| 27 | Sudan | 37.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.5% | rising |
| 28 | Burkina Faso | 37.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 4.9% | flat |
| 29 | Congo | 36.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.9% | flat |
| 30 | Rwanda | 36.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 11.3% | flat |
| 31 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 13.5% | flat |
| 32 | Burundi | 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 13.6% | flat |
| 33 | Mali | 35.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 5.5% | rising |
| 34 | Myanmar | 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 3.0% | falling |
| 35 | Togo | 34.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 20.3% | falling |
| 36 | Eritrea | 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 37 | Tajikistan | 33.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 13.1% | rising |
| 38 | Central African Republic | 33.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 12.8% | rising |
| 39 | Uzbekistan | 32.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 6.0% | falling |
| 40 | Jordan | 32.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 41 | Guinea-Bissau | 32.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 13.4% | falling |
| 42 | Syria | 32.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 6.4% | rising |
| 43 | China | 31.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 38.2% | falling |
| 44 | Gabon | 31.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 45 | Turkmenistan | 31.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 2.6% | flat |
| 46 | Uganda | 31.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 9.7% | rising |
| 47 | Peru | 31.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 4.5% | falling |
| 48 | Honduras | 30.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 49 | Bhutan | 30.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 5.6% | flat |
| 50 | Guatemala | 29.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 51 | El Salvador | 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 52 | Armenia | 28.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 5.7% | falling |
| 53 | Ghana | 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 16.3% | falling |
| 54 | Bolivia | 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 11.8% | falling |
| 55 | South Africa | 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 56 | Guinea | 27.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 9.0% | falling |
| 57 | Lebanon | 26.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 0.1% | rising |
| 58 | Lesotho | 26.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 2.0% | falling |
| 59 | Turkey | 26.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 2.4% | rising |
| 60 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 26.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 61 | Laos | 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 62 | Vietnam | 24.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 16.3% | falling |
| 63 | Ethiopia | 23.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 4.2% | rising |
| 64 | Azerbaijan | 23.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 5.4% | rising |
| 65 | South Sudan | 23.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 14.9% | flat |
| 66 | Thailand | 23.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 67 | Chile | 23.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 7.9% | falling |
| 68 | Sri Lanka | 22.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 13.3% | falling |
| 69 | Sierra Leone | 22.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 8.7% | flat |
| 70 | Palestine | 22.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 2.6% | falling |
| 71 | Philippines | 22.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 1.6% | falling |
| 72 | Israel | 21.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 1.6% | falling |
| 73 | South Korea | 21.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 12.6% | rising |
| 74 | North Macedonia | 21.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 23.5% | falling |
| 75 | North Korea | 21.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 11.4% | falling |
| 76 | Jamaica | 21.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 77 | Indonesia | 20.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 7.7% | falling |
| 78 | Nicaragua | 20.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 79 | Cote d'Ivoire | 20.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 10.2% | falling |
| 80 | Kenya | 20.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 5.0% | rising |
| 81 | Zambia | 20.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.3% | flat |
| 82 | Cape Verde | 20.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 18.7% | falling |
| 83 | Tanzania | 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 12.6% | rising |
| 84 | Kyrgyzstan | 20.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 85 | Libya | 20.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 23.0% | flat |
| 86 | Angola | 19.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 87 | Bulgaria | 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 17.4% | falling |
| 88 | Kazakhstan | 19.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.9% | rising |
| 89 | Cambodia | 19.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 9.9% | falling |
| 90 | Serbia | 19.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 20.4% | falling |
| 91 | Venezuela | 19.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.0% | falling |
| 92 | Tunisia | 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 93 | Morocco | 18.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 8.3% | rising |
| 94 | Ecuador | 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 3.1% | falling |
| 95 | Georgia | 18.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 0.4% | falling |
| 96 | Somalia | 18.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 5.6% | rising |
| 97 | Montenegro | 18.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 19.5% | falling |
| 98 | Colombia | 18.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 0.8% | falling |
| 99 | Liberia | 17.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 100 | Costa Rica | 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 101 | Guyana | 16.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 0.7% | falling |
| 102 | Belize | 16.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 103 | Eswatini | 16.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 104 | Malawi | 16.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 11.6% | flat |
| 105 | Mexico | 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 106 | Algeria | 16.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 8.7% | rising |
| 107 | Poland | 16.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 27.8% | falling |
| 108 | Cyprus | 16.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 109 | Romania | 16.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 110 | Malaysia | 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 19.4% | falling |
| 111 | Haiti | 15.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 112 | Croatia | 15.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 113 | Suriname | 15.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 114 | Albania | 15.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 14.7% | falling |
| 115 | Paraguay | 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 25.4% | falling |
| 116 | Singapore | 15.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 40.6% | falling |
| 117 | Panama | 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 1.6% | falling |
| 118 | Sao Tome and Principe | 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.2% | flat |
| 119 | Zimbabwe | 15.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 12.9% | flat |
| 120 | Moldova | 14.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 14.9% | falling |
| 121 | Ukraine | 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 21.7% | falling |
| 122 | Argentina | 14.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 123 | Italy | 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 18.1% | falling |
| 124 | Namibia | 14.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 125 | Greece | 14.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 126 | Papua New Guinea | 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 127 | Mauritius | 14.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.5% | rising |
| 128 | Trinidad and Tobago | 13.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 1.4% | flat |
| 129 | Mozambique | 13.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 130 | Slovakia | 13.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 32.1% | falling |
| 131 | Hungary | 13.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 28.6% | falling |
| 132 | Dominican Republic | 13.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 11.4% | falling |
| 133 | Brazil | 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 1.4% | falling |
| 134 | Botswana | 13.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 20.6% | falling |
| 135 | Latvia | 13.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 23.8% | falling |
| 136 | Czechia | 12.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 33.5% | falling |
| 137 | San Marino | 12.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 14.2% | falling |
| 138 | Slovenia | 12.56 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 24.3% | falling |
| 139 | Madagascar | 12.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 13.2% | rising |
| 140 | East Timor | 11.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 0.2% | falling |
| 141 | Belarus | 11.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 32.9% | falling |
| 142 | Russia | 11.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 18.3% | falling |
| 143 | Dominica | 11.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 13.8% | falling |
| 144 | Japan | 11.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 11.7% | flat |
| 145 | Monaco | 11.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 17.7% | falling |
| 146 | Maldives | 11.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 12.6% | falling |
| 147 | Grenada | 11.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 9.8% | falling |
| 148 | Barbados | 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 9.8% | falling |
| 149 | Uruguay | 10.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 150 | Malta | 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 151 | Lithuania | 10.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 31.0% | falling |
| 152 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 10.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 11.2% | falling |
| 153 | Saint Lucia | 10.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 9.9% | falling |
| 154 | Comoros | 10.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 14.0% | flat |
| 155 | Spain | 10.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 1.9% | falling |
| 156 | Austria | 10.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 35.2% | falling |
| 157 | Solomon Islands | 9.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.7% | rising |
| 158 | United Kingdom | 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 24.3% | falling |
| 159 | Cuba | 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 160 | Seychelles | 9.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 161 | Andorra | 8.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 162 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 8.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 9.9% | falling |
| 163 | Germany | 8.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 35.0% | falling |
| 164 | Portugal | 8.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 165 | Netherlands | 8.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 37.0% | falling |
| 166 | Belgium | 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 46.1% | falling |
| 167 | Antigua and Barbuda | 8.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 8.4% | falling |
| 168 | Switzerland | 8.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 37.4% | falling |
| 169 | France | 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 42.4% | falling |
| 170 | Puerto Rico | 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 19.9% | flat |
| 171 | Brunei | 7.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 172 | Ireland | 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 17.7% | falling |
| 173 | Denmark | 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 18.2% | falling |
| 174 | Luxembourg | 7.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 48.0% | falling |
| 175 | Vanuatu | 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 176 | United States | 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 17.3% | falling |
| 177 | New Zealand | 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 2.9% | falling |
| 178 | United States Virgin Islands | 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 16.2% | falling |
| 179 | Canada | 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 180 | Fiji | 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 181 | Australia | 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 7.5% | flat |
| 182 | Estonia | 5.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 29.9% | falling |
| 183 | Norway | 5.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 21.9% | falling |
| 184 | Bahamas | 5.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 7.6% | falling |
| 185 | Sweden | 5.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 16.3% | falling |
| 186 | Tuvalu | 5.22 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 11.1% | falling |
| 187 | Palau | 4.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 188 | Iceland | 4.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 2.1% | falling |
| 189 | Nauru | 4.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 190 | Tonga | 4.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 1.8% | falling |
| 191 | Bermuda | 4.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 192 | Samoa | 4.58 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 0.0% | falling |
| 193 | Finland | 4.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 27.4% | falling |
| 194 | American Samoa | 4.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | up 3.2% | falling |
| 195 | Marshall Islands | 4.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 15.4% | falling |
| 196 | Kiribati | 3.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 16.6% | falling |
| 197 | Micronesia (country) | 3.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 18.3% | falling |
| 198 | Guam | 3.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 15.0% | falling |
| 199 | Northern Mariana Islands | 2.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 25.5% | falling |
| 200 | Greenland | 1.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 2023 | down 10.1% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- South Asia 55.16 micrograms per cubic meter
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 55.16 micrograms per cubic meter
- IDA blend 52.11 micrograms per cubic meter
- Africa Western and Central 50.42 micrograms per cubic meter
- Lower middle income 49.57 micrograms per cubic meter
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 45.36 micrograms per cubic meter
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 44.01 micrograms per cubic meter
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 43.86 micrograms per cubic meter
- Early-demographic dividend 42.61 micrograms per cubic meter
- IDA total 41.76 micrograms per cubic meter
- Arab World 38.92 micrograms per cubic meter
- Pre-demographic dividend 38.66 micrograms per cubic meter
About this data
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 urban and rural areas.