Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Ireland
Ireland: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
7.51 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 7.3%
World rank
172nd
of 200 countries
All-time high
14.06 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2003
All-time low
7.1 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2017
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Ireland, 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 Ireland is 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 7.3% on the previous year and down 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Ireland peaked at 14.06 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003 and was at its lowest, 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2017.
That places Ireland 172nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom 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 Ireland, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.5 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 13.51 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 13.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 13.27 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 13.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 13.3 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 12.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
| 1997 | 12.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 12.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 12.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 12.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 11.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 11.67 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 14.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +20.5% |
| 2004 | 10.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -24.3% |
| 2005 | 11.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.5% |
| 2006 | 9.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.8% |
| 2007 | 9.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.1% |
| 2008 | 9.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 9.08 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 9.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 9.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 8.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.2% |
| 2013 | 9.12 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.5% |
| 2014 | 8.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.3% |
| 2015 | 7.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 2016 | 7.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.7% |
| 2018 | 7.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.8% |
| 2019 | 8.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.1% |
| 2020 | 7.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.9% |
| 2021 | 8.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 8.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 75% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter, 58% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 169 France 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 170 Puerto Rico 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 171 Brunei 7.57 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 173 Denmark 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 174 Luxembourg 7.43 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 175 Vanuatu 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Ireland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.412 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.13 % 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 -0.0083 % 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 Ireland?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Ireland was 7.51 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 14.06 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2017.
- How does Ireland rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Ireland ranks 172nd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.
Download this data
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.