Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Samoa
Samoa: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Samoa, 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
Samoa recorded 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.4% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Samoa peaked at 1.96 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.95 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1998.
Samoa ranks 228th 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 Samoa, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0.95 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 1.02 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.4% |
| 2000 | 1.31 micrograms per cubic meter | +28.4% |
| 2001 | 1.36 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 1.27 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.6% |
| 2003 | 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.9% |
| 2004 | 1.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.2% |
| 2005 | 1.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +27.6% |
| 2006 | 1.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 1.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.5% |
| 2008 | 1.27 micrograms per cubic meter | -21.6% |
| 2009 | 1.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.0% |
| 2010 | 1.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.8% |
| 2011 | 1.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 1.39 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.3% |
| 2013 | 1.34 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 2014 | 1.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.9% |
| 2015 | 1.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +24.1% |
| 2016 | 1.65 micrograms per cubic meter | -15.8% |
| 2017 | 1.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 1.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 1.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.3% |
| 2020 | 1.34 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.1% |
| 2021 | 1.2 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.4% |
| 2022 | 1.62 micrograms per cubic meter | +35.0% |
| 2023 | 1.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.4% |
Samoa compared with similar countries
- Samoa's 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 9% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Samoa's 1.37 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 25% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.985 micrograms per cubic meter | 0.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.02 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.23 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.56 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 1.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Samoa
- 225 Tonga 1.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 226 Wallis and Futuna 1.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 227 Palau 1.4 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 229 French Polynesia 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 229 Nauru 1.28 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 231 American Samoa 1.21 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Samoa
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.3482 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.3183 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.23 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.919 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.68 % 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 -2.51 % 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 Samoa?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Samoa was 1.37 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 Samoa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.96 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Samoa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.95 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- How does Samoa rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Samoa ranks 228th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Samoa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Samoa 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.