South Korea vs Philippines: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
South Korea
21.89 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Philippines
22.21 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
South Korea rank
73rd
Philippines rank
71st
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- South Korea
- Philippines
How they compare
Philippines currently reports 22.21 micrograms per cubic meter against 21.89 micrograms per cubic meter in South Korea, a difference of 0.32 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Philippines ahead.
South Korea ranks 73rd and Philippines ranks 71st of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Korea averaged higher in 1 and Philippines in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Korea | Philippines | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.16 micrograms per cubic meter | Philippines |
| 2000s | 22.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.41 micrograms per cubic meter | Philippines |
| 2010s | 23.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.5002 micrograms per cubic meter | South Korea |
| 2020s | 21.97 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.7695 micrograms per cubic meter | Philippines |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, South Korea or Philippines?
- Philippines, at 22.21 micrograms per cubic meter against 21.89 micrograms per cubic meter in South Korea as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between South Korea and Philippines?
- 0.32 micrograms per cubic meter, with Philippines ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Korea and Philippines?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do South Korea and Philippines rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- South Korea ranks 73rd and Philippines ranks 71st 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.