Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Canada
Canada: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Canada, 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
In 2023, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Canada stood at 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Canada peaked at 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991 and was at its lowest, 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
That places Canada 179th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Canada, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 9.41 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 9.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 9.27 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 9.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 9.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 9.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 9.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 8.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 8.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 8.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 8.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 2003 | 8.85 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 8.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.5% |
| 2005 | 8.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 8.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.8% |
| 2007 | 7.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 7.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 7.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 7.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 7.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 6.92 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 7.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 7.46 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 7.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 6.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.4% |
| 2017 | 6.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.0% |
| 2018 | 7.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.7% |
| 2020 | 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +30.1% |
| 2022 | 6.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.5% |
| 2023 | 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 65% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +30.1% | 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 176 United States 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 177 New Zealand 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 178 United States Virgin Islands 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 180 Fiji 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 181 Australia 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 182 Estonia 5.92 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Canada
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.76 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.642 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.96 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.7 % 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 -0.3398 % 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 Canada?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Canada was 6.55 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Canada ranks 179th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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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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.