Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Myanmar
Myanmar: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
35.07 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 6.7%
World rank
34th
of 200 countries
All-time high
45 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
32.85 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Myanmar, 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 Myanmar is 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 6.7% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Myanmar peaked at 45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 32.85 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
That places Myanmar 34th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 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 Myanmar, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 45 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 44.2 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 43.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1993 | 43.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 43.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 41.86 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 42.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 41.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 41.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 41.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 41.28 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 41.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 42.92 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 41.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 44.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 43.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 37.95 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.0% |
| 2007 | 35.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 36.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 38.13 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 36.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 34.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.4% |
| 2012 | 34.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 36.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 36.44 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 34.64 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.9% |
| 2016 | 35.53 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 33.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 36.2 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.0% |
| 2019 | 36.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 36.88 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 36.86 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 32.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.9% |
| 2023 | 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.7% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 35.07 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.77 micrograms per cubic meter, 3.6× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 41.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 45 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 35.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 44.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 35.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 32.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 31 Democratic Republic of Congo 35.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 32 Burundi 35.69 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 33 Mali 35.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 35 Togo 34.33 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 36 Eritrea 33.66 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 37 Tajikistan 33.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Myanmar
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.016 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.9805 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.3823 % 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 -0.7174 % 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 Myanmar?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Myanmar was 35.07 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.85 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does Myanmar rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Myanmar ranks 34th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.