Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Canada
Canada: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 6.71 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Canada, 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
Canada recorded 6.71 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 28.6% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Canada peaked at 9.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 and was at its lowest, 5.78 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
Canada ranks 169th of 240 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.78 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More environment data for Canada
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 768.06 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 18.61 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 30.53 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.7994 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 71.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.2499 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 133.08 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.1643 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.5773 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 28.85 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Canada?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Canada was 6.71 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 9.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.78 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Canada rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Canada ranks 169th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.