Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Greenland
Greenland: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 0.83 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Greenland, 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
In 2024, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Greenland stood at 0.83 micrograms per cubic meter.
The figure is down 38.1% on the previous year and down 35.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Greenland peaked at 1.52 micrograms per cubic meter in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.82 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2018.
That places Greenland 236th out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Greenland, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.3 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 1.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 1.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 1.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.1% |
| 2002 | 1.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 1.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.8% |
| 2005 | 1.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2006 | 1.25 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 1.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 1.52 micrograms per cubic meter | +25.6% |
| 2009 | 1.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.8% |
| 2010 | 1.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2011 | 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 1.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.7% |
| 2013 | 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 1.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.8% |
| 2016 | 0.92 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.5% |
| 2017 | 1.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +18.5% |
| 2018 | 0.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -24.8% |
| 2019 | 1.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +32.9% |
| 2020 | 0.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -22.0% |
| 2021 | 0.98 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.3% |
| 2022 | 0.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.1% |
| 2023 | 1.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +44.1% |
| 2024 | 0.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -38.1% |
Greenland compared with similar countries
- Greenland's 0.83 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 10% of the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Greenland's 0.83 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.25 micrograms per cubic meter, 7% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.27 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.12 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.986 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Greenland
- 233 Tokelau 1.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 234 Niue 1.04 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 235 Kiribati 1.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 237 Marshall Islands 0.65 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 238 Guam 0.63 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 239 Micronesia (country) 0.62 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Greenland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.3961 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Temperature change 2.17 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.605 °C (2025)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Share of GDP 24.29 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth 2.61 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth 5.11 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Share of GDP US$ 24.29 % (2024)
- Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Use per capita 0.02 kg/cap (2024)
- Nutrient potash K2O (total) — Agricultural Use 1 t (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Greenland?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Greenland was 0.83 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 Greenland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.52 micrograms per cubic meter in 2008.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Greenland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.82 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018.
- How does Greenland rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Greenland ranks 236th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Greenland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Greenland 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.