Denmark vs United States: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Denmark
- United States
How they compare
Denmark currently reports 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter against 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter in United States, a difference of 0.53 micrograms per cubic meter.
That makes Denmark's figure about 1.1 times United States's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Denmark ahead.
Denmark ranks 173rd and United States ranks 176th of 200 countries.
Denmark has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Denmark | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.5786 micrograms per cubic meter | Denmark |
| 2000s | 12.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.5132 micrograms per cubic meter | Denmark |
| 2010s | 10.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.79 micrograms per cubic meter | Denmark |
| 2020s | 7.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.1858 micrograms per cubic meter | Denmark |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Denmark or United States?
- Denmark, at 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter against 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter in United States as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Denmark and United States?
- 0.53 micrograms per cubic meter, with Denmark ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and United States?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Denmark and United States rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Denmark ranks 173rd and United States ranks 176th 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.