Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 17.33 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sri Lanka, 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
Sri Lanka recorded 17.33 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
That represents a change of up 5.0% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sri Lanka peaked at 21.51 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018 and was at its lowest, 11.04 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1998.
That places Sri Lanka 77th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 11.04 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 16.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.93 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.17 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.51 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.57 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 74 Cambodia 17.56 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 75 Mexico 17.4 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 76 Nicaragua 17.37 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 78 Ecuador 16.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 79 Sudan 16.93 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 80 Israel 16.66 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Sri Lanka
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 37.17 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 1.7 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 5.57 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.6851 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.0046 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0737 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 11.12 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0059 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0632 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 4.72 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sri Lanka?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sri Lanka was 17.33 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 21.51 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.04 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Sri Lanka ranks 77th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.