Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Ecuador
Ecuador: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Ecuador, 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 Ecuador stood at 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter.
The figure is down 6.0% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Ecuador peaked at 41.19 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 17.79 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2014.
That places Ecuador 94th 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 Ecuador, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 41.19 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 40.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 40.55 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 40.22 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 39.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 39.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 39.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 38.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 38.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 37.84 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 38.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 38.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 38.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 37.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 37.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 25.35 micrograms per cubic meter | -32.6% |
| 2007 | 19.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -24.5% |
| 2008 | 19.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 18.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 21.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.7% |
| 2011 | 18.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.5% |
| 2012 | 18.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.9% |
| 2013 | 18.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 17.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 18.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 18.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 18.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 18.88 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 18.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 19.8 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.4% |
| 2023 | 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.0% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.51 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.2× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Ecuador 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -32.6% | 37.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.35 micrograms per cubic meter |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 41.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 31.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
- 91 Venezuela 19.2 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 92 Tunisia 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 93 Morocco 18.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 95 Georgia 18.57 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 96 Somalia 18.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 97 Montenegro 18.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Ecuador
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.3767 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.4 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.49 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.65 % 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 -1.14 % 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 Ecuador?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Ecuador was 18.61 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 41.19 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.79 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
- How does Ecuador rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Ecuador ranks 94th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.