Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Singapore
Singapore: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 11.12 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Singapore, 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
Singapore recorded 11.12 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.8% on the previous year and down 24.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Singapore peaked at 24.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015 and was at its lowest, 7.94 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1998.
That places Singapore 126th out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Singapore, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 7.94 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 9.6 micrograms per cubic meter | +20.9% |
| 2000 | 11.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +18.9% |
| 2001 | 10.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 14.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +34.7% |
| 2003 | 9.64 micrograms per cubic meter | -32.4% |
| 2004 | 12.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +27.9% |
| 2005 | 11.22 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.0% |
| 2006 | 21.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +87.7% |
| 2007 | 9.58 micrograms per cubic meter | -54.5% |
| 2008 | 8.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -12.4% |
| 2009 | 14.77 micrograms per cubic meter | +76.0% |
| 2010 | 7.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -46.0% |
| 2011 | 11.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +42.4% |
| 2012 | 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter | +17.9% |
| 2013 | 17.12 micrograms per cubic meter | +28.0% |
| 2014 | 14.71 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.1% |
| 2015 | 24.15 micrograms per cubic meter | +64.2% |
| 2016 | 10.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -57.9% |
| 2017 | 10.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 11.78 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.2% |
| 2019 | 14.68 micrograms per cubic meter | +24.6% |
| 2020 | 8.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -44.2% |
| 2021 | 10.07 micrograms per cubic meter | +23.0% |
| 2022 | 9.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 11.44 micrograms per cubic meter | +19.2% |
| 2024 | 11.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 11.12 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.4× the median. (83 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 11.12 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 2.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.06 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.97 micrograms per cubic meter | 24.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 123 Cayman Islands 11.33 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 124 San Marino 11.27 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 125 Czechia 11.22 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 127 Panama 10.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 127 Russia 10.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 129 Moldova 10.9 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Singapore
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.71 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.9965 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 42.94 % change on previous year (1990)
- Standard Deviation 0.253 °C (1990)
- Temperature change 0.647 °C (1990)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 5.11 % 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 -5.19 % 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 Singapore?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Singapore was 11.12 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 24.15 micrograms per cubic meter in 2015.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.94 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- How does Singapore rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Singapore ranks 126th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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.