Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Thailand
Thailand: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 22.09 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Thailand, 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
The most recent figure for exposure to air pollution from human sources in Thailand is 22.09 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in Thailand peaked at 23.73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013 and was at its lowest, 17.72 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1999.
Thailand ranks 50th of 240 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Thailand, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 19.87 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 17.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.8% |
| 2000 | 18.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 17.86 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.1% |
| 2002 | 19.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.6% |
| 2003 | 19.76 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 22.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +15.4% |
| 2005 | 22.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 20.57 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.8% |
| 2007 | 23.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.5% |
| 2008 | 21.6 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.5% |
| 2009 | 21.15 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 21.47 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 22.5 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 21.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 23.73 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.3% |
| 2014 | 22.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2015 | 20.37 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.7% |
| 2016 | 22.16 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.8% |
| 2017 | 18.95 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.5% |
| 2018 | 20.88 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.2% |
| 2019 | 21.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 21.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 21.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 20.34 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 23.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.7% |
| 2024 | 22.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -5.4% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 22.09 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 15.58 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.4× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 22.09 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.49 micrograms per cubic meter, 4.0× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 18.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.87 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.79 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.86 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 21.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.73 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.76 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 23.34 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
- 47 Lesotho 22.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 48 Tanzania 22.37 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 49 Togo 22.34 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 51 Oman 21.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 52 South Africa 21.6 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 53 South Sudan 20.89 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for Thailand
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 1.44 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.54 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.306 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.01 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.85 % 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 0.1009 % 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 Thailand?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in Thailand was 22.09 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 Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 23.73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2013.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.72 micrograms per cubic meter in 1999.
- How does Thailand rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- Thailand ranks 50th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Thailand 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.