Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in New Zealand
New Zealand: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 5.86 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in New Zealand, 2010–2023
Source: World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 5.86 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.1% on the previous year and down 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in New Zealand peaked at 6.78 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014 and was at its lowest, 5.37 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
That places New Zealand 217th out of 226 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5.84 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 2011 | 6.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2012 | 6.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.2% |
| 2013 | 6.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 6.78 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2015 | 6.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 6.49 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 6.49 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 6.49 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 6.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 5.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 2022 | 5.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 5.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 214 New Caledonia 6.02 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 215 French Polynesia 5.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 216 Réunion 5.93 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 218 Kiribati 5.85 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 219 Norway 5.53 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 220 Estonia 5.42 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)
- Roundwood, non-coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Wood fuel — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Wood fuel, non-coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Industrial roundwood — Production, annual growth rate 0.2831 % change on previous year (2024)
- Industrial roundwood — Import quantity, per unit of GDP 0 m3 per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in New Zealand?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in New Zealand was 5.86 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.78 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.37 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does New Zealand rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- New Zealand ranks 217th out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (population-weighted), by location (micrograms per cubic meter).