Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
14.11 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 12.3%
World rank
126th
of 200 countries
All-time high
16.5 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2010
All-time low
13.27 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2020
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Papua New Guinea, 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 Papua New Guinea is 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 12.3% on the previous year and down 8.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Papua New Guinea peaked at 16.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010 and was at its lowest, 13.27 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
That places Papua New Guinea 126th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 16.02 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 15.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 1992 | 15.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 15.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 15.5 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 14.9 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 15.38 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.2% |
| 1997 | 15.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 15.25 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 15.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 15.39 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 14.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.9% |
| 2002 | 13.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.0% |
| 2003 | 14 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2004 | 13.57 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 13.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 14.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 15.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.6% |
| 2008 | 15.89 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 15.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 16.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.2% |
| 2011 | 14.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.7% |
| 2012 | 13.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 15.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.6% |
| 2014 | 14.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 14.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 13.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 14.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 14.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 13.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 13.27 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 14.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 16.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.8% |
| 2023 | 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.3% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 54% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.77 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.4× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.27 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 123 Italy 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 124 Namibia 14.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 125 Greece 14.12 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 127 Mauritius 14.06 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 128 Trinidad and Tobago 13.78 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 129 Mozambique 13.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Papua New Guinea
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 1.56 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 2.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.183 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.834 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.8 % 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) 0 % 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 Papua New Guinea?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Papua New Guinea was 14.11 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 16.5 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.27 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 126th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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.