Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas was 10.28 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Puerto Rico, 2010–2023
Source: World Health Organization – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2023, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Puerto Rico stood at 10.28 micrograms per cubic meter. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Puerto Rico peaked at 15.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010 and was at its lowest, 10.28 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2023.
Puerto Rico ranks 144th of 226 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Puerto Rico, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 15.15 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 2011 | 13.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.0% |
| 2012 | 14.47 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.9% |
| 2013 | 13.58 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.2% |
| 2014 | 13.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 14.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 12.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.0% |
| 2017 | 12.98 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 12.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 11.94 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 12.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.1% |
| 2021 | 12.77 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 10.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.6% |
| 2023 | 10.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
- 141 Romania 10.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 142 Latvia 10.93 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 143 Guyana 10.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 145 Cayman Islands 10.04 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 146 United States of America 9.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 147 Austria 9.9 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Puerto Rico
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.5906 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.4091 Percentage change (2025)
- Temperature change 1.16 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.268 °C (2025)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Value Standard 677.16 million SLC (2024)
- Land area equipped for irrigation — Area 22.04 1000 ha (2024)
- Land area equipped for irrigation — Share in Cropland 30.48 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Value Standard 864.98 million SLC (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Value US$ 864.98 million USD (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Puerto Rico?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas in Puerto Rico was 10.28 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 15.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.28 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas?
- Puerto Rico ranks 144th out of 226 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Puerto Rico 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).