Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Iran
Iran: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▲ Rising
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Iran, 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 Iran is 40.25 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.3% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Iran peaked at 43.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022 and was at its lowest, 33.78 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1990.
That places Iran 23rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 38.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 42.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 39.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 43.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 41 micrograms per cubic meter | 38.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 43.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 20 Equatorial Guinea 42.22 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 21 Senegal 41.65 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 22 Djibouti 40.3 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 24 Benin 39.66 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 25 Gambia 38.27 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 26 Afghanistan 37.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Iran
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 1,055 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 11.52 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 23.95 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 1.36 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 132.92 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0799 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 175.7 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.3082 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 2.67 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 13.99 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Iran?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Iran was 40.25 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 43.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.78 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- How does Iran rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Iran ranks 23rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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.