New Zealand vs Vanuatu: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
New Zealand
6.88 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Vanuatu
6.99 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
New Zealand rank
177th
Vanuatu rank
175th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- New Zealand
- Vanuatu
How they compare
Vanuatu currently reports 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter against 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter in New Zealand, a difference of 0.11 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Vanuatu ahead.
New Zealand ranks 177th and Vanuatu ranks 175th of 200 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, New Zealand averaged higher in 1 and Vanuatu in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | New Zealand | Vanuatu | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.8319 micrograms per cubic meter | Vanuatu |
| 2000s | 7.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.8188 micrograms per cubic meter | Vanuatu |
| 2010s | 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.03 micrograms per cubic meter | Vanuatu |
| 2020s | 6.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.2476 micrograms per cubic meter | New Zealand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, New Zealand or Vanuatu?
- Vanuatu, at 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter against 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter in New Zealand as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between New Zealand and Vanuatu?
- 0.11 micrograms per cubic meter, with Vanuatu ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for New Zealand and Vanuatu?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do New Zealand and Vanuatu rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- New Zealand ranks 177th and Vanuatu ranks 175th 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.