Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Myanmar
Myanmar: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 29.65 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Myanmar, 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 Myanmar is 29.65 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 7.2% on the previous year and down 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Myanmar peaked at 31.96 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023 and was at its lowest, 22.45 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2000.
That places Myanmar 22nd out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Myanmar, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 23.87 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 24.68 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 22.45 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 23.12 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 23.65 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 24.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 28.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.5% |
| 2005 | 27.1 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 27.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 30.42 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.6% |
| 2008 | 27.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.4% |
| 2009 | 31.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.8% |
| 2010 | 30.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 27.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.9% |
| 2012 | 28.42 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 29 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 29.97 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 28.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.6% |
| 2016 | 28.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 26.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.3% |
| 2018 | 28.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.7% |
| 2019 | 30.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 30.17 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 30.93 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 26.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.2% |
| 2023 | 31.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.8% |
| 2024 | 29.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 29.65 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.17 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 29.65 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 5.4× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.27 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 26.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 22.45 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.71 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 30.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 19 Nigeria 30.53 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 20 Afghanistan 30.24 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 21 Central African Republic 30.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 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
More environment data for Myanmar
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.016 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.9805 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.43 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.3823 % 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 -0.7174 % 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 Myanmar?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Myanmar was 29.65 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 31.96 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.45 micrograms per cubic meter in 2000.
- How does Myanmar rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Myanmar ranks 22nd out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.