Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in New Zealand
New Zealand: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
6.88 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
177th
of 200 countries
All-time high
8.59 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
6.47 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2014
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand is 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in New Zealand peaked at 8.59 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 6.47 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2014.
That places New Zealand 177th 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 New Zealand, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.59 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 8.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 8.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 8.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 8.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 8.2 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 8.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 8.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 8.27 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 8.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 8.29 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 8.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 8.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 7.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 7.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 7.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 7.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 7.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 7 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 6.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 7.15 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 6.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 6.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 6.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 6.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 6.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 6.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 6.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 7.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +16.2% |
| 2020 | 7.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.7% |
| 2021 | 6.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 2022 | 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.1% |
| 2023 | 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 68% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.77 micrograms per cubic meter, 70% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 174 Luxembourg 7.43 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 175 Vanuatu 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 176 United States 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 178 United States Virgin Islands 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 179 Canada 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 180 Fiji 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for New Zealand
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.2131 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.69 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.379 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.9845 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e) -4.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in New Zealand?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in New Zealand was 6.88 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 8.59 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.47 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
- How does New Zealand rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- New Zealand ranks 177th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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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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.