Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Eritrea
Eritrea: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Eritrea, 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
Eritrea recorded 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in 2023.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Eritrea peaked at 40.02 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 29.14 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2014.
Eritrea ranks 36th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 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 Eritrea, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 40.02 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 36.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.2% |
| 1997 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 38.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 40.01 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 35.78 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.6% |
| 2002 | 35.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 34.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 2004 | 33.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 37.3 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.4% |
| 2006 | 31.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.0% |
| 2007 | 30.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 30.2 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 29.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 32.17 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 34.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.3% |
| 2012 | 34.25 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 35.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 29.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -17.4% |
| 2015 | 34.94 micrograms per cubic meter | +19.9% |
| 2016 | 33.34 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 37.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.7% |
| 2018 | 35.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 33.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 30.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 30.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2022 | 33.17 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.4% |
| 2023 | 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for low income countries, which is 33.29 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 40.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 33.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 40.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 37.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.01 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
- 33 Mali 35.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 34 Myanmar 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 35 Togo 34.33 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 37 Tajikistan 33.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 38 Central African Republic 33.29 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 39 Uzbekistan 32.77 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Eritrea
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -12.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -10.14 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 57.1 % change on previous year (2023)
- Standard Deviation 0.531 °C (2023)
- Temperature change 0.012 °C (2023)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.6471 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2011)
- 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 0.3665 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2011)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Eritrea?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Eritrea was 33.66 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 Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 40.02 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.14 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
- How does Eritrea rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Eritrea ranks 36th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eritrea 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.