Exposure to air pollution from human sources in New Caledonia
New Caledonia: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 2.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in New Caledonia, 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
New Caledonia recorded 2.9 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.5% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in New Caledonia peaked at 3.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.36 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
New Caledonia ranks 207th of 240 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in New Caledonia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 2.7 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 2.36 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.6% |
| 2000 | 3.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +33.1% |
| 2001 | 3.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.3% |
| 2002 | 3.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.5% |
| 2003 | 2.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.6% |
| 2004 | 2.64 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 2.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 2.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2.99 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.4% |
| 2008 | 3.59 micrograms per cubic meter | +20.1% |
| 2009 | 2.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -17.5% |
| 2010 | 3.31 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.8% |
| 2011 | 3.67 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.9% |
| 2012 | 3 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.3% |
| 2013 | 3.09 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 3.19 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 3.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 3.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +22.0% |
| 2017 | 3.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 3.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 3.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.0% |
| 2020 | 2.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -22.5% |
| 2021 | 3.15 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.1% |
| 2022 | 3.87 micrograms per cubic meter | +22.9% |
| 2023 | 3.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.4% |
| 2024 | 2.9 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.5% |
New Caledonia compared with similar countries
- New Caledonia's 2.9 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 36% of the median. (83 countries reporting)
- New Caledonia's 2.9 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 53% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.53 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.36 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 3 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Caledonia
- 204 Iceland 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 204 Saint Kitts and Nevis 3.03 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 206 United States Virgin Islands 2.96 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 208 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 2.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 209 Falkland Islands 2.81 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 210 Bermuda 2.8 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for New Caledonia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 7.82 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 8.33 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.314 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.69 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.61 % 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 -0.3712 % 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 New Caledonia?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in New Caledonia was 2.9 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 New Caledonia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.87 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in New Caledonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.36 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does New Caledonia rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- New Caledonia ranks 207th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in New Caledonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Caledonia 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.