Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Spain
Spain: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 7.63 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Spain, 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
Spain recorded 7.63 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
That represents a change of down 5.1% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Spain peaked at 10.82 micrograms per cubic meter in 2007 and was at its lowest, 7.29 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.
That places Spain 158th out of 240 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 10.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.43 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 7.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 155 France 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 156 United Kingdom 7.76 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 159 Mauritania 7.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 160 Portugal 7.43 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 161 Maldives 7.17 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Spain
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 285.64 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.85 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 27.33 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.8102 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 1.37 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.104 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 42.81 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.1099 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.1597 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 12.89 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Spain?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Spain was 7.63 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 10.82 micrograms per cubic meter in 2007.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.29 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
- How does Spain rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Spain ranks 158th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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.