Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malta
Malta: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malta, 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
Malta recorded 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malta peaked at 11.76 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003 and was at its lowest, 7.23 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2016.
That places Malta 153rd 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 Malta, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 9.53 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 9.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 9.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 9.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 9.38 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 11.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +25.4% |
| 2004 | 8.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -25.9% |
| 2005 | 9.53 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.4% |
| 2006 | 10.39 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.0% |
| 2007 | 10.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 9.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.4% |
| 2009 | 8.77 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.0% |
| 2010 | 7.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.5% |
| 2011 | 10.75 micrograms per cubic meter | +41.6% |
| 2012 | 9.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.4% |
| 2013 | 8.79 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.7% |
| 2014 | 7.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.2% |
| 2015 | 9.94 micrograms per cubic meter | +28.8% |
| 2016 | 7.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -27.3% |
| 2017 | 8.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.9% |
| 2018 | 8.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 8.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.1% |
| 2020 | 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 7.56 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 8.25 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.1% |
| 2023 | 8.29 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.5% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.0× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Malta's 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 25.47 micrograms per cubic meter, 32% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.75 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malta
- 150 Guyana 8.38 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 151 Switzerland 8.31 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 152 Denmark 8.24 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 154 Cuba 8.06 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 155 France 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 156 United Kingdom 7.76 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Malta
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -1.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.365 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.16 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.8269 % 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 Malta?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Malta was 8.08 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 11.76 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.23 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- How does Malta rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Malta ranks 153rd out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta 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.