Norway vs Sweden: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution
Norway
5.52 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Sweden
5.26 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Norway rank
183rd
Sweden rank
185th
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution over time
- Norway
- Sweden
How they compare
Norway currently reports 5.52 micrograms per cubic meter against 5.26 micrograms per cubic meter in Sweden, a difference of 0.26 micrograms per cubic meter.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Norway ahead.
Norway ranks 183rd and Sweden ranks 185th of 200 countries.
Norway has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Norway | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.4083 micrograms per cubic meter | Norway |
| 2000s | 9.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.0973 micrograms per cubic meter | Norway |
| 2010s | 6.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.1891 micrograms per cubic meter | Norway |
| 2020s | 5.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.2691 micrograms per cubic meter | Norway |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution, Norway or Sweden?
- Norway, at 5.52 micrograms per cubic meter against 5.26 micrograms per cubic meter in Sweden as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution between Norway and Sweden?
- 0.26 micrograms per cubic meter, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Norway and Sweden?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Norway and Sweden rank globally for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Norway ranks 183rd 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.