Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Barbados
Barbados: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
10.91 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
148th
of 200 countries
All-time high
12.93 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2010
All-time low
9.36 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2014
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Barbados, 1990–2023
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Barbados is 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Barbados peaked at 12.93 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010 and was at its lowest, 9.36 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2014.
That places Barbados 148th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Barbados, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.19 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 12.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 12.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 12.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 12.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 12.28 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 12.25 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 12.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 12.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 12.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 12.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 11.95 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 12.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 11.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.5% |
| 2004 | 10.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 11.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 11.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 10.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 11.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 12.74 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.6% |
| 2010 | 12.93 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 10.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.6% |
| 2012 | 12.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +20.8% |
| 2013 | 9.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -21.9% |
| 2014 | 9.36 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 12.39 micrograms per cubic meter | +32.4% |
| 2016 | 11.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.0% |
| 2017 | 12.16 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.8% |
| 2018 | 10.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.9% |
| 2019 | 10.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 11.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 12.17 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.3% |
| 2022 | 10.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.3% |
| 2023 | 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.0% |
Barbados compared with similar countries
- Barbados's 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Barbados's 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 71% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Barbados
- 145 Monaco 11.38 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 146 Maldives 11.16 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 147 Grenada 11.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 149 Uruguay 10.85 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 150 Malta 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 151 Lithuania 10.75 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Barbados
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.41 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -8.41 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 111.15 % change on previous year (2023)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2023)
- Temperature change 1.03 °C (2023)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -0.3571 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Barbados?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Barbados was 10.91 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Barbados?
- The highest recorded value was 12.93 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Barbados?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.36 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
- How does Barbados rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Barbados ranks 148th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Barbados?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Barbados data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.