Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Colombia
Colombia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 13.88 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Colombia, 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 Colombia is 13.88 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 7.3% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Colombia peaked at 15.82 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016 and was at its lowest, 9.12 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
That places Colombia 102nd out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Colombia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 10.75 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 9.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.2% |
| 2000 | 11.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +31.0% |
| 2001 | 13.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.6% |
| 2002 | 12.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.2% |
| 2003 | 13.85 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.1% |
| 2004 | 12.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.1% |
| 2005 | 12.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 11.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.7% |
| 2007 | 12.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.5% |
| 2008 | 12.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 13.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.4% |
| 2010 | 14.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2011 | 12.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -17.7% |
| 2012 | 13.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.9% |
| 2013 | 13.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 14.94 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.0% |
| 2015 | 13.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2016 | 15.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.1% |
| 2017 | 14.57 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.9% |
| 2018 | 13.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 14.71 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.1% |
| 2020 | 13.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.2% |
| 2022 | 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.7% |
| 2023 | 12.94 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 13.88 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.3% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 13.88 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 89% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 13.88 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 9.09 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.5× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.56 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
- 99 Cyprus 14.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 100 Albania 13.99 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 101 Malaysia 13.92 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 103 Kazakhstan 13.74 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 104 Brazil 13.5 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 105 Italy 13.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Colombia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.4233 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.2774 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.267 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.59 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9788 % 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 0.2077 % 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 Colombia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Colombia was 13.88 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 Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 15.82 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.12 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Colombia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Colombia ranks 102nd out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Colombia 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.