Australia vs Sweden: Exposure to outdoor air pollution
Australia
5.4 µg/m³
in 2024
Sweden
5.7 µg/m³
in 2024
Australia rank
210th
Sweden rank
207th
Exposure to outdoor air pollution over time
- Australia
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 5.7 µg/m³ against 5.4 µg/m³ in Australia, a difference of 0.3 µg/m³.
That makes Sweden's figure about 1.1 times Australia's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 27 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Sweden ahead.
Australia ranks 210th and Sweden ranks 207th of 241 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.15 µg/m³ | 8.2 µg/m³ | 3.05 µg/m³ | Sweden |
| 2000s | 5.63 µg/m³ | 7.52 µg/m³ | 1.89 µg/m³ | Sweden |
| 2010s | 5.89 µg/m³ | 6.44 µg/m³ | 0.55 µg/m³ | Sweden |
| 2020s | 5.6 µg/m³ | 5.3 µg/m³ | 0.3 µg/m³ | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher exposure to outdoor air pollution, Australia or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 5.7 µg/m³ against 5.4 µg/m³ in Australia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in exposure to outdoor air pollution between Australia and Sweden?
- 0.3 µg/m³, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Sweden?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2024.
- How do Australia and Sweden rank globally for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Australia ranks 210th and Sweden ranks 207th of 241 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Exposure to outdoor air pollution. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Annual population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can pose significant health risks.