Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iceland
Iceland: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iceland, 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 Iceland stood at 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter.
That represents a change of down 16.8% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iceland peaked at 3.64 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 and was at its lowest, 2.16 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
Iceland ranks 204th of 240 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iceland, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2.36 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 2.43 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 2.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 2.46 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 2.68 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.9% |
| 2003 | 2.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 2.7 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 2.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2006 | 2.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.9% |
| 2007 | 2.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2008 | 2.52 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 2.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.9% |
| 2011 | 2.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.2% |
| 2012 | 2.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.6% |
| 2013 | 2.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 2.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2015 | 2.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -21.4% |
| 2016 | 2.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.0% |
| 2017 | 2.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +20.7% |
| 2018 | 2.41 micrograms per cubic meter | -17.2% |
| 2019 | 2.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +22.8% |
| 2020 | 2.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -27.0% |
| 2021 | 3.51 micrograms per cubic meter | +62.5% |
| 2022 | 2.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -27.1% |
| 2023 | 3.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +42.2% |
| 2024 | 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.8% |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 38% of the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 11.25 micrograms per cubic meter, 27% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.55 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.21 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.98 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 202 Montserrat 3.32 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 203 Antigua and Barbuda 3.14 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 204 Saint Kitts and Nevis 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 206 United States Virgin Islands 2.96 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 207 New Caledonia 2.9 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Iceland
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.89 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.587 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8549 % 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 -1.93 % 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iceland?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iceland was 3.03 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 3.64 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.16 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Iceland rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Iceland ranks 204th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iceland 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.