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
Latest (2023)
15.87 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
110th
of 200 countries
All-time high
31.24 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
13.66 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2020
Years of data
34
1990–2023
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.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 31.24 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 29.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.9% |
| 1992 | 28.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 27.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
| 1994 | 26.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 23.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.6% |
| 1996 | 25.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.7% |
| 1997 | 24.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 1998 | 23.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 22.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 22.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 21.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.2% |
| 2002 | 22.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.2% |
| 2003 | 21.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.7% |
| 2004 | 22.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.7% |
| 2005 | 22.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 20.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 18.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.9% |
| 2008 | 17.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.8% |
| 2009 | 19.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.9% |
| 2010 | 14.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -26.1% |
| 2011 | 18.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +24.8% |
| 2012 | 18.52 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 19.68 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.2% |
| 2014 | 20.39 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.6% |
| 2015 | 25.19 micrograms per cubic meter | +23.5% |
| 2016 | 16.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -35.5% |
| 2017 | 14.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.6% |
| 2018 | 16.16 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.2% |
| 2019 | 20.9 micrograms per cubic meter | +29.4% |
| 2020 | 13.66 micrograms per cubic meter | -34.6% |
| 2021 | 14.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.7% |
| 2023 | 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.51 micrograms per cubic meter, 86% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 15.87 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.77 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.6× the median. (33 countries reporting)
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
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.9 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.179 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.25 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.33 % 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 0.9114 % 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 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.