Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bhutan
Bhutan: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bhutan, 1998–2024
Source: Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
Bhutan recorded 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bhutan peaked at 34.27 micrograms per cubic meter in 2009 and was at its lowest, 16.15 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1998.
Bhutan ranks 36th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.15 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 22.42 micrograms per cubic meter | +35.3% |
| 2001 | 25.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.7% |
| 2002 | 25.7 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 25.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 25.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 26.68 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 28.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.6% |
| 2007 | 27.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 29.17 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.7% |
| 2009 | 34.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.5% |
| 2010 | 27.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -19.7% |
| 2011 | 29.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.7% |
| 2012 | 30.48 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 26.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.6% |
| 2014 | 30.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +16.6% |
| 2015 | 30.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 29.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 29.29 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 31.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.0% |
| 2019 | 30.02 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.1% |
| 2020 | 29.92 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 31.12 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 23.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -22.9% |
| 2023 | 25.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.4% |
| 2024 | 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for South Asia, which is 31.32 micrograms per cubic meter, 80% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 27.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.42 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.27 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
- 33 Jordan 25.96 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 34 Tajikistan 25.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 35 Djibouti 25.47 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 37 Angola 25.06 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 38 Peru 24.69 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 39 Benin 24.56 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Bhutan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.2782 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.5977 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.08 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.487 % 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 -5.53 % 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 exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bhutan?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bhutan was 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024, according to Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 34.27 micrograms per cubic meter in 2009.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- How does Bhutan rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Bhutan ranks 36th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan data come from?
- The figures come from Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC) (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to air pollution from human sources. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Annual population-weighted average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the air, measured in micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³). Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are particles with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less, which can pose significant health risks. This data excludes natural sources of PM2.5, such as dust and sea salt, to focus on human-caused pollution.