Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Estonia
Estonia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 6.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Estonia, 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
Estonia recorded 6.1 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 31.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Estonia peaked at 10.14 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010 and was at its lowest, 5.48 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
That places Estonia 174th out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Estonia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9.75 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 10.07 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.3% |
| 2000 | 8.2 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.6% |
| 2001 | 8.88 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.3% |
| 2002 | 9.67 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 9.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 8.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 8.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 10 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.6% |
| 2007 | 9.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.7% |
| 2008 | 8.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 8.94 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 10.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.4% |
| 2011 | 8.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -19.8% |
| 2012 | 8.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 8.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 8.9 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 6.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -21.6% |
| 2016 | 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.6% |
| 2017 | 5.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.1% |
| 2018 | 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +24.8% |
| 2019 | 5.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -19.2% |
| 2020 | 5.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.4% |
| 2021 | 6.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.1% |
| 2022 | 5.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.7% |
| 2023 | 6.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.6% |
| 2024 | 6.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
Estonia compared with similar countries
- Estonia's 6.1 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 75% of the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Estonia's 6.1 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.25 micrograms per cubic meter, 54% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.14 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
- 171 Trinidad and Tobago 6.29 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 172 Guernsey 6.23 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 173 Aruba 6.22 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 175 French Guiana 5.92 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 176 Western Sahara 5.82 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 177 Norway 5.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Estonia
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.899 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.78 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -5.71 % 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 -0.0832 % 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 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Estonia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Estonia was 6.1 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 Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.14 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.48 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Estonia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Estonia ranks 174th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Estonia 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.