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.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 11.04 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 12.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.9% |
| 2000 | 14.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +22.2% |
| 2001 | 16.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.2% |
| 2002 | 15.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.5% |
| 2003 | 16.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.9% |
| 2004 | 15.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 17.06 micrograms per cubic meter | +12.5% |
| 2006 | 16.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 17.89 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.0% |
| 2008 | 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 18.47 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 19.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 19.45 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 18.75 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 19.66 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 19.55 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 17.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.3% |
| 2016 | 19.01 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.0% |
| 2017 | 18.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 21.51 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.8% |
| 2019 | 18.05 micrograms per cubic meter | -16.1% |
| 2020 | 16.73 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.3% |
| 2021 | 16.73 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 18.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +11.0% |
| 2023 | 16.51 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.1% |
| 2024 | 17.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.0% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 17.33 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 17.33 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for South Asia, which is 31.32 micrograms per cubic meter, 55% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
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
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 5.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 5.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.207 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.849 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 5.63 % 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 1.22 % 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 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.