Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Palau
Palau: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Palau, 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 Palau stood at 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter.
That represents a change of down 49.3% on the previous year and down 57.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Palau peaked at 4.11 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 and was at its lowest, 1.08 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1998.
That places Palau 227th out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Palau, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.08 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 1.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +57.4% |
| 2000 | 1.8 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.9% |
| 2001 | 2.15 micrograms per cubic meter | +19.4% |
| 2002 | 2.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +19.5% |
| 2003 | 2.47 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 2.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.3% |
| 2005 | 2.18 micrograms per cubic meter | -19.3% |
| 2006 | 2.52 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.6% |
| 2007 | 1.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -25.8% |
| 2008 | 1.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.8% |
| 2009 | 3.04 micrograms per cubic meter | +86.5% |
| 2010 | 1.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -59.2% |
| 2011 | 2.1 micrograms per cubic meter | +69.4% |
| 2012 | 2.31 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.0% |
| 2013 | 2 micrograms per cubic meter | -13.4% |
| 2014 | 3.31 micrograms per cubic meter | +65.5% |
| 2015 | 4.11 micrograms per cubic meter | +24.2% |
| 2016 | 2.02 micrograms per cubic meter | -50.9% |
| 2017 | 1.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 2.26 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.7% |
| 2019 | 2.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.9% |
| 2020 | 1.66 micrograms per cubic meter | -36.6% |
| 2021 | 2.22 micrograms per cubic meter | +33.7% |
| 2022 | 2.11 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 2.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +30.8% |
| 2024 | 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -49.3% |
Palau compared with similar countries
- Palau's 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 17% of the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Palau's 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 26% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.63 micrograms per cubic meter | 3.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 4.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.03 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter | 2.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Palau
- 224 Pitcairn 1.64 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 225 Tonga 1.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 226 Wallis and Futuna 1.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 228 Samoa 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 229 French Polynesia 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 229 Nauru 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Palau
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 14.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.167 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Cropland — Area per capita 0.13 ha/cap (2024)
- Cropland — Share in Land area 5 % (2024)
- Arable land — Area 0.3 1000 ha (2024)
- Arable land — Share in Agricultural land 6.98 % (2024)
- Permanent crops — Area 2 1000 ha (2024)
- Permanent meadows and pastures — Share in Agricultural land 46.51 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Palau?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Palau was 1.4 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 Palau?
- The highest recorded value was 4.11 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Palau?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.08 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- How does Palau rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Palau ranks 227th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Palau?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Palau 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.