Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in United States Virgin Islands
United States Virgin Islands: Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution was 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
6.79 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 18.9%
World rank
178th
of 200 countries
All-time high
7.9 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2000
All-time low
5.55 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2011
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Average annual exposure to PM2.5 air pollution in United States Virgin Islands, 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
United States Virgin Islands recorded 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.9% on the previous year and up 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in United States Virgin Islands peaked at 7.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.55 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2011.
That places United States Virgin Islands 178th 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 United States Virgin Islands, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 7.48 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 7.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 1992 | 7.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 7.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 7.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 7.11 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 7.54 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.0% |
| 1997 | 7.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 7.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 7.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 7.9 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.1% |
| 2001 | 7.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 7.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 7.06 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.0% |
| 2004 | 6.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.5% |
| 2005 | 6.78 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.1% |
| 2006 | 6.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 6.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 6.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 6.08 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 7.01 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.3% |
| 2011 | 5.55 micrograms per cubic meter | -20.9% |
| 2012 | 6.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +19.6% |
| 2013 | 5.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.9% |
| 2014 | 6.18 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.7% |
| 2015 | 6.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.6% |
| 2016 | 6.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 7.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +22.5% |
| 2018 | 7.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.2% |
| 2019 | 6.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.7% |
| 2020 | 6.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 7.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 5.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.7% |
| 2023 | 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +18.9% |
United States Virgin Islands compared with similar countries
- United States Virgin Islands's 6.79 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)
- United States Virgin Islands's 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 44% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.56 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States Virgin Islands
- 175 Vanuatu 6.99 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 176 United States 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 177 New Zealand 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 179 Canada 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 180 Fiji 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 181 Australia 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for United States Virgin Islands
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.267 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.11 °C (2025)
- Agricultural land — Share in Land area 8.28 % (2024)
- Capture fisheries production 493.84 metric tons (2024)
- Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland 32.88 % (2024)
- Cropland — Area 0.95 1000 ha (2024)
- Cropland — Share in Agricultural land 33.04 % (2024)
- Cropland — Share in Land area 2.74 % (2024)
- Arable land — Share in Agricultural land 26.1 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in United States Virgin Islands?
- Average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution in United States Virgin Islands was 6.79 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 United States Virgin Islands?
- The highest recorded value was 7.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2000.
- What is the lowest average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution recorded in United States Virgin Islands?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2011.
- How does United States Virgin Islands rank for average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution?
- United States Virgin Islands ranks 178th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is average annual exposure to pm2.5 air pollution rising or falling in United States Virgin Islands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States Virgin Islands 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.