Bolivia vs South Africa: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Bolivia
28.14 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
South Africa
27.72 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Bolivia rank
54th
South Africa rank
55th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Bolivia
- South Africa
How they compare
Bolivia currently reports 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter against 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter in South Africa, a difference of 0.42 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Bolivia ahead.
Bolivia ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 55th of 200 countries.
Bolivia has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Bolivia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 62.66 micrograms per cubic meter | Bolivia |
| 2000s | 54.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.97 micrograms per cubic meter | Bolivia |
| 2010s | 28.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.0071 micrograms per cubic meter | Bolivia |
| 2020s | 29.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.47 micrograms per cubic meter | Bolivia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Bolivia or South Africa?
- Bolivia, at 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter against 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Bolivia and South Africa?
- 0.42 micrograms per cubic meter, with Bolivia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Bolivia and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Bolivia and South Africa rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Bolivia ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 55th of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The average level of exposure of the population to suspended particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and damaging health. This is measured in micrograms per cubic meter.