Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iran
Iran: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iran, 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 Iran is 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iran peaked at 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024 and was at its lowest, 19.08 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
Iran ranks 28th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iran, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 19.54 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 19.08 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 23.23 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.8% |
| 2001 | 21.68 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 22.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.9% |
| 2003 | 21.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.3% |
| 2004 | 21.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 22.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.5% |
| 2006 | 23.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 24.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 25.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.6% |
| 2009 | 26.89 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.7% |
| 2010 | 26.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 27.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 26.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 24.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 25.54 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 24.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 26.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.1% |
| 2018 | 25.11 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 26.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 25.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 26.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.6% |
| 2023 | 28.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Iran's 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 25.47 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.31 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.54 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 23.32 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.18 micrograms per cubic meter | 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 25 Egypt 29.47 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 26 Mongolia 29.35 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 27 Honduras 28.77 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 29 Gabon 28.49 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 30 Guatemala 27.24 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 31 Armenia 26.79 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Iran
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -30.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -21.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.4 % 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 1.9 % 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 -0.0807 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iran?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Iran was 28.74 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 19.08 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Iran rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Iran ranks 28th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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.