PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Malaysia
Malaysia: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure was 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Malaysia, 1990–2023
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Malaysia peaked at 31.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 13.66 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
Malaysia ranks 110th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 107 Poland 16.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 108 Cyprus 16.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 109 Romania 16.01 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 111 Haiti 15.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 112 Croatia 15.78 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 113 Suriname 15.67 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More urban development data for Malaysia
- Population in the largest city 32.3% (2025)
- Population density 106.91 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 9.00 million (2025)
- Population in largest city 9.00 million (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO guidel 90.5% (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Malaysia?
- Pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Malaysia was 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network.
- What is the highest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 31.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.66 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Malaysia rank for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure?
- Malaysia ranks 110th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network, published as part of PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.