Iceland vs Sweden: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Iceland
4.93 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Sweden
5.26 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Iceland rank
188th
Sweden rank
185th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Iceland
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 5.26 micrograms per cubic meter against 4.93 micrograms per cubic meter in Iceland, a difference of 0.33 micrograms per cubic meter.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Iceland's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.
Iceland ranks 188th and Sweden ranks 185th of 200 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iceland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.34 micrograms per cubic meter | Sweden |
| 2000s | 5.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.43 micrograms per cubic meter | Sweden |
| 2010s | 4.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter | Sweden |
| 2020s | 5.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.5138 micrograms per cubic meter | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Iceland or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 5.26 micrograms per cubic meter against 4.93 micrograms per cubic meter in Iceland as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Iceland and Sweden?
- 0.33 micrograms per cubic meter, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iceland and Sweden?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Iceland and Sweden rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Iceland ranks 188th and Sweden ranks 185th 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.