Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in El Salvador
El Salvador: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
29.59 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
51st
of 200 countries
All-time high
39.92 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
27.81 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2007
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in El Salvador, 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
El Salvador recorded 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in 2023.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in El Salvador peaked at 39.92 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 27.81 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2007.
El Salvador ranks 51st 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 El Salvador, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 39.92 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 39.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 39.76 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 39.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 39.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 39.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 39.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 39.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 39.68 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 39.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 39.78 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 35.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.8% |
| 2002 | 35.73 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 36.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 32.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.5% |
| 2005 | 33.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 29.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.0% |
| 2007 | 27.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 29.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 29.78 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 31.15 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.6% |
| 2011 | 31.78 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 28.84 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 31.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.3% |
| 2014 | 28.68 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.2% |
| 2015 | 28.9 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 28.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 29.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 29.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 30.61 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 31.19 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 28.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.3% |
| 2022 | 29.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.2% |
| 2023 | 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.51 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 29.59 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.9× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 39.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 39.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 39.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 32.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 39.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 48 Honduras 30.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 49 Bhutan 30.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 50 Guatemala 29.68 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 52 Armenia 28.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 53 Ghana 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 54 Bolivia 28.14 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for El Salvador
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.31 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.1 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.28 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9805 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in El Salvador?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in El Salvador was 29.59 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 39.92 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.81 micrograms per cubic meter in 2007.
- How does El Salvador rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- El Salvador ranks 51st out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.