Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
19.68 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 13.7%
World rank
87th
of 200 countries
All-time high
32.87 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2003
All-time low
19.68 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Bulgaria, 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 Bulgaria is 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 13.7% on the previous year and down 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Bulgaria peaked at 32.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003 and was at its lowest, 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2023.
Bulgaria ranks 87th of 200 countries on this measure, 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 Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 31.84 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 31.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 30.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 30.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 30.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 29.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 29.51 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 29.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 1998 | 28.86 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 28.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 28.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 28.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 31.11 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.4% |
| 2003 | 32.87 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 28.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.9% |
| 2005 | 29.31 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 29.51 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 27.94 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 25.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.5% |
| 2010 | 25.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 30.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.9% |
| 2012 | 26.22 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.0% |
| 2013 | 23.84 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.1% |
| 2014 | 24.56 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 21.9 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.9% |
| 2016 | 21.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 22 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.8% |
| 2018 | 22.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 21.9 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 20.5 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.4% |
| 2021 | 20.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 22.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.3% |
| 2023 | 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.7% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 2.0× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.5× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.56 micrograms per cubic meter | 32.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
- 84 Kyrgyzstan 20.12 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 85 Libya 20.01 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 86 Angola 19.91 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 88 Kazakhstan 19.6 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 89 Cambodia 19.43 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 90 Serbia 19.34 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Bulgaria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.39 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.573 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.18 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -6.02 % 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 -0.7509 % 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 Bulgaria?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Bulgaria was 19.68 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 Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 32.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- How does Bulgaria rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Bulgaria ranks 87th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.