Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Guatemala
Guatemala: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 27.24 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
27.24 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 7.1%
World rank
30th
of 240 countries
All-time high
34.46 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1998
All-time low
18.87 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2004
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Guatemala, 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 Guatemala is 27.24 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 7.1% on the previous year and up 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Guatemala peaked at 34.46 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998 and was at its lowest, 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2004.
Guatemala ranks 30th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 34.46 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 19.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -44.7% |
| 2000 | 24.46 micrograms per cubic meter | +28.3% |
| 2001 | 21.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.2% |
| 2002 | 19.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.7% |
| 2003 | 27.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +37.9% |
| 2004 | 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -30.2% |
| 2005 | 26.98 micrograms per cubic meter | +43.0% |
| 2006 | 21.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -21.0% |
| 2007 | 23.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.4% |
| 2008 | 22.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.3% |
| 2009 | 25.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.0% |
| 2010 | 24.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 25.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.9% |
| 2012 | 23.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 26.13 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.9% |
| 2014 | 22.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.3% |
| 2015 | 21.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 23.68 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.1% |
| 2017 | 23.73 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 21.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.9% |
| 2019 | 24.68 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.2% |
| 2020 | 26.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.4% |
| 2021 | 24.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 23.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 25.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.9% |
| 2024 | 27.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.1% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 27.24 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 27.24 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 9.09 micrograms per cubic meter, 3.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 34.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 23.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 27 Honduras 28.77 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 28 Iran 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 29 Gabon 28.49 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 31 Armenia 26.79 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 32 Laos 26.73 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 33 Jordan 25.96 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Guatemala
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.45 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.02 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.273 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.11 % 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 % 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 Guatemala?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Guatemala was 27.24 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 34.46 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2004.
- How does Guatemala rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Guatemala ranks 30th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.