Exposure to air pollution from human sources in India
India: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 40.76 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in India, 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
India recorded 40.76 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.1% on the previous year and down 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in India peaked at 54.76 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016 and was at its lowest, 28 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1998.
India ranks 5th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in India, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 28 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 28.48 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 32.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.7% |
| 2001 | 34.91 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.8% |
| 2002 | 34.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 37.46 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.5% |
| 2004 | 37.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 38.17 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 40.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.4% |
| 2007 | 42.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.5% |
| 2008 | 45.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.6% |
| 2009 | 45.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 45.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 48.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.5% |
| 2012 | 45.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 47.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 46.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 51.63 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.9% |
| 2016 | 54.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 53.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 51.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 48.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.8% |
| 2020 | 44.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.6% |
| 2021 | 48 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.5% |
| 2022 | 44.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.6% |
| 2023 | 43.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 40.76 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.1% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 40.76 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter, 2.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 40.76 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for South Asia, which is 31.32 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 28 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 38.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 32.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 45.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 45.65 micrograms per cubic meter | 54.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 40.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 48 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
- 2 Qatar 56.44 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 3 Pakistan 44.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 41.26 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 6 Bolivia 40.62 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 7 Rwanda 40.42 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 8 Cameroon 39.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for India
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 11.05 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 12.52 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.954 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.92 % 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 1.12 % 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 India?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in India was 40.76 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 54.76 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 28 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- How does India rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- India ranks 5th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.