Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Iceland
Iceland: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 4.93 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Iceland, 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 Iceland is 4.93 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Iceland peaked at 6.48 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003 and was at its lowest, 4.28 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2012.
Iceland ranks 188th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 4.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 4.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 4.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 185 Sweden 5.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 186 Tuvalu 5.22 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 187 Palau 4.94 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 189 Nauru 4.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 190 Tonga 4.69 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 191 Bermuda 4.63 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Iceland
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 4.28 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 11.08 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 0.2793 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.0015 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0001 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 0.4807 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0021 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 0.194 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Iceland?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Iceland was 4.93 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 6.48 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.28 micrograms per cubic meter in 2012.
- How does Iceland rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Iceland ranks 188th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland 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.