Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Malaysia
Malaysia: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Malaysia, 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
Malaysia recorded 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.5% on the previous year and down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Malaysia peaked at 31.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 13.66 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
Malaysia ranks 110th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 20.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 107 Poland 16.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 108 Cyprus 16.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 109 Romania 16.01 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 111 Haiti 15.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 112 Croatia 15.78 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 113 Suriname 15.67 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Malaysia
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 332.17 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 9.34 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 3.89 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.0205 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 9.39 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0252 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 26.26 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0898 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.3735 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 12.28 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Malaysia?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Malaysia was 15.87 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 31.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.66 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Malaysia rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Malaysia ranks 110th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.