Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Ukraine
Ukraine: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
14.85 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 5.9%
World rank
121st
of 200 countries
All-time high
36.06 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
14.02 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2022
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in Ukraine, 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
Ukraine recorded 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and down 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Ukraine peaked at 36.06 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 14.02 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
Ukraine ranks 121st 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 Ukraine, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 36.06 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 35.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 35.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 34.7 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 34.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 34.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 33.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 32.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 31.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 31.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 30.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2001 | 29.55 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 31.3 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 26.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.2% |
| 2004 | 24.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.0% |
| 2005 | 23.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 20.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.8% |
| 2007 | 19.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 19.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 20.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 19.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 19.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 18.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 19.04 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 17.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2016 | 17.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 17.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.1% |
| 2018 | 17.44 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 16.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 15.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 15.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 14.02 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.8% |
| 2023 | 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.9% |
Ukraine compared with similar countries
- Ukraine's 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.51 micrograms per cubic meter, 80% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ukraine's 14.85 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.88 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ukraine
- 118 Sao Tome and Principe 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
- 122 Argentina 14.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 123 Italy 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 124 Namibia 14.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Ukraine
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -7.91 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -8.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.795 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.27 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -2.31 % 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 -5.67 % 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 Ukraine?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in Ukraine was 14.85 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 Ukraine?
- The highest recorded value was 36.06 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in Ukraine?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.02 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does Ukraine rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- Ukraine ranks 121st out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in Ukraine?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ukraine 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.