Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica is 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
That represents a change of up 14.8% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Costa Rica peaked at 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.69 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
That places Costa Rica 82nd 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 11.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.1 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 79 Sudan 16.93 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 80 Israel 16.66 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 81 Azerbaijan 16.59 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 83 Serbia 16.13 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 84 Burkina Faso 15.97 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 85 Botswana 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Costa Rica
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 17.08 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 3.33 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 4.38 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.0273 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.0074 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0131 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 6.38 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0006 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0288 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.92 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Costa Rica?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Costa Rica was 16.22 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 16.22 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.69 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Costa Rica rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Costa Rica ranks 82nd out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.