Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bolivia
Bolivia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bolivia, 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
The most recent figure for exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bolivia is 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 36.7% on the previous year and up 66.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bolivia peaked at 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024 and was at its lowest, 23.24 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2013.
Bolivia ranks 6th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bolivia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 23.92 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 24.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 24.22 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 23.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 25.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.4% |
| 2003 | 25.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 30.44 micrograms per cubic meter | +18.9% |
| 2005 | 29.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2006 | 25.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.1% |
| 2007 | 30.9 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.6% |
| 2008 | 25.41 micrograms per cubic meter | -17.8% |
| 2009 | 23.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.9% |
| 2010 | 34.04 micrograms per cubic meter | +43.9% |
| 2011 | 26.57 micrograms per cubic meter | -21.9% |
| 2012 | 24.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 23.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 24.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.7% |
| 2015 | 24.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 26.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.5% |
| 2017 | 26.11 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 24.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 26.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.7% |
| 2020 | 28.44 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2021 | 26.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 28.3 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.8% |
| 2023 | 29.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.0% |
| 2024 | 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +36.7% |
Bolivia compared with similar countries
- Bolivia's 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter, 2.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bolivia's 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 9.09 micrograms per cubic meter, 4.5× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.49 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bolivia
- 3 Pakistan 44.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 41.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 5 India 40.76 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 7 Rwanda 40.42 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 8 Cameroon 39.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 9 Burundi 39 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Bolivia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -6.2 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -7.09 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 11.44 % 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 2.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 2.89 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bolivia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Bolivia was 40.62 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 Bolivia?
- The highest recorded value was 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Bolivia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013.
- How does Bolivia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Bolivia ranks 6th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Bolivia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 66.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bolivia 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.