Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Mongolia
Mongolia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 29.35 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Mongolia, 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
Mongolia recorded 29.35 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 12.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Mongolia peaked at 36.09 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016 and was at its lowest, 25.03 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
That places Mongolia 26th out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Mongolia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 29.16 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 25.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.2% |
| 2000 | 26.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 26.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 29.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.2% |
| 2003 | 32.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.9% |
| 2004 | 26.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.1% |
| 2005 | 27.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.8% |
| 2006 | 32.18 micrograms per cubic meter | +16.7% |
| 2007 | 34.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 35.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 32 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.6% |
| 2010 | 32.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 33.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.0% |
| 2012 | 33.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 35.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.8% |
| 2014 | 33.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.1% |
| 2015 | 32.08 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.3% |
| 2016 | 36.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.5% |
| 2017 | 34.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.4% |
| 2018 | 30.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.5% |
| 2019 | 32.86 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.4% |
| 2020 | 35.18 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 35.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 31.46 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.7% |
| 2023 | 29.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.8% |
| 2024 | 29.35 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
Mongolia compared with similar countries
- Mongolia's 29.35 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Mongolia's 29.35 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 5.3× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 25.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 30.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 35.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 36.09 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.18 micrograms per cubic meter | 29.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 35.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mongolia
- 23 El Salvador 29.63 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 24 China 29.57 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 25 Egypt 29.47 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 27 Honduras 28.77 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 28 Iran 28.74 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 29 Gabon 28.49 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Mongolia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.5 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -6.27 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.602 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.37 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 11.35 % 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 1.42 % 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 Mongolia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Mongolia was 29.35 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 Mongolia?
- The highest recorded value was 36.09 micrograms per cubic meter in 2016.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Mongolia?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.03 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Mongolia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Mongolia ranks 26th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Mongolia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mongolia 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.
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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.