Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
15.12 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
118th
of 200 countries
All-time high
18.72 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2015
All-time low
12.31 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2014
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Sao Tome and Principe, 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
In 2023, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Sao Tome and Principe stood at 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 18.72 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 and was at its lowest, 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2014.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 118th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 15.97 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 15.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.1% |
| 1992 | 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 15.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 14.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.5% |
| 1996 | 15.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.4% |
| 1997 | 15.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 15.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 15.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 16.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 15 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.4% |
| 2002 | 16 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 14.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 2004 | 15.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2005 | 16.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2006 | 14.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.1% |
| 2007 | 13.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2008 | 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
| 2009 | 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.7% |
| 2010 | 13.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 15.32 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.2% |
| 2012 | 16.67 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.8% |
| 2013 | 16.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -24.5% |
| 2015 | 18.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +52.1% |
| 2016 | 16.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.6% |
| 2017 | 13.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -19.0% |
| 2018 | 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 13.8 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.1% |
| 2020 | 15.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.9% |
| 2021 | 14.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 15 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 25.98 micrograms per cubic meter, 58% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 55% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.97 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
- 115 Paraguay 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 116 Singapore 15.14 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 117 Panama 15.12 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 119 Zimbabwe 15.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 120 Moldova 14.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 121 Ukraine 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -16.99 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -12.85 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.214 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.16 °C (2025)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.15 % 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), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Sao Tome and Principe was 15.12 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 Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 18.72 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 118th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe 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.