Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Italy
Italy: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
14.29 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 12.0%
World rank
123rd
of 200 countries
All-time high
30.5 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
14.29 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2023
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Italy, 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 Italy is 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 12.0% on the previous year and down 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Italy peaked at 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2023.
Italy ranks 123rd 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 Italy, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 30.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 30.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 30.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 29.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 30 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 29.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 29.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 28.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 28.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 28.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 24.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.3% |
| 2002 | 25.85 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.4% |
| 2003 | 27.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 24.57 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.7% |
| 2005 | 25.19 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 23.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.5% |
| 2007 | 21.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 20.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 19.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 18.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2011 | 20.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.2% |
| 2012 | 19 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.1% |
| 2013 | 17.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 15.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.7% |
| 2015 | 18.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +16.8% |
| 2016 | 16.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.9% |
| 2017 | 17.32 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.8% |
| 2018 | 15.68 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.4% |
| 2019 | 14.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.4% |
| 2020 | 15.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 14.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 16.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.9% |
| 2023 | 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.0% |
Italy compared with similar countries
- Italy's 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.4× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Italy's 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29.73 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 120 Moldova 14.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 121 Ukraine 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 122 Argentina 14.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 124 Namibia 14.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 125 Greece 14.12 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 126 Papua New Guinea 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Italy
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.04 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.47 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.324 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.18 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -1.94 % 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 -0.2257 % 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 Italy?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Italy was 14.29 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 30.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- How does Italy rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Italy ranks 123rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Italy 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.