Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Maldives
Maldives: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Maldives, 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 Maldives stood at 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 27.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Maldives peaked at 12.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 2007 and was at its lowest, 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2024.
That places Maldives 161st out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Maldives, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter | +26.1% |
| 2000 | 9.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 9.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 8.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.2% |
| 2003 | 10.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +31.6% |
| 2004 | 9.76 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 9.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 9.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.1% |
| 2007 | 12.15 micrograms per cubic meter | +24.6% |
| 2008 | 10.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.4% |
| 2009 | 11.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 10.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.4% |
| 2011 | 11.56 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.2% |
| 2012 | 10.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.4% |
| 2013 | 8.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.2% |
| 2014 | 9.92 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.9% |
| 2015 | 8.11 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.2% |
| 2016 | 11.93 micrograms per cubic meter | +47.1% |
| 2017 | 10.7 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.3% |
| 2018 | 11.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.5% |
| 2019 | 9.2 micrograms per cubic meter | -20.0% |
| 2020 | 8.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 7.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.0% |
| 2022 | 8.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 7.99 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.1% |
| 2024 | 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.3% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 46% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for South Asia, which is 31.32 micrograms per cubic meter, 23% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.46 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
- 158 Spain 7.63 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 159 Mauritania 7.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 160 Portugal 7.43 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 162 Andorra 7.16 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 163 Comoros 7.15 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 164 Mayotte 7.13 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Maldives
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.252 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.911 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.75 % 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 -100 % change on previous year (1991)
- 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 4.35 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Maldives?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Maldives was 7.17 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 Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 12.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 2007.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024.
- How does Maldives rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Maldives ranks 161st out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives 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.