Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Bolivia
Bolivia: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
28.14 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 7.9%
World rank
54th
of 200 countries
All-time high
93.91 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1991
All-time low
25.16 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2013
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Bolivia, 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
Bolivia recorded 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in 2023.
That represents a change of down 7.9% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Bolivia peaked at 93.91 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991 and was at its lowest, 25.16 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2013.
That places Bolivia 54th 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 Bolivia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 93.84 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 93.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 91.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 89.57 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 87.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 89.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 1996 | 83.06 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 1997 | 80.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.6% |
| 1998 | 78.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.7% |
| 1999 | 76.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 72.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 2001 | 68.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2002 | 71.2 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
| 2003 | 65.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.4% |
| 2004 | 66.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 66.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 43.76 micrograms per cubic meter | -34.2% |
| 2007 | 31.02 micrograms per cubic meter | -29.1% |
| 2008 | 30.35 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 27.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.1% |
| 2010 | 38.2 micrograms per cubic meter | +40.0% |
| 2011 | 30.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -20.7% |
| 2012 | 26.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.9% |
| 2013 | 25.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 26.29 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 27.15 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 28.67 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2017 | 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 26.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 28.92 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2020 | 31.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 28.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.3% |
| 2022 | 30.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.7% |
| 2023 | 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.9% |
Bolivia compared with similar countries
- Bolivia's 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bolivia's 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.8× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 76.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 93.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 72.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bolivia
- 51 El Salvador 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 52 Armenia 28.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 53 Ghana 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 55 South Africa 27.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 56 Guinea 27.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 57 Lebanon 26.69 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Bolivia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -6.2 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.09 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 11.44 % 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 2.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 2.89 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Bolivia?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Bolivia was 28.14 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 Bolivia?
- The highest recorded value was 93.91 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Bolivia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.16 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013.
- How does Bolivia rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Bolivia ranks 54th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Bolivia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bolivia 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.