Exposure to air pollution from human sources in United States
United States: Exposure to air pollution from human sources was 7.07 micrograms per cubic meter in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in United States, 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
United States recorded 7.07 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to air pollution from human sources in 2024.
The figure is down 14.8% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to air pollution from human sources in United States peaked at 12.19 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6.83 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
United States ranks 165th of 240 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to air pollution from human sources in United States, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12.19 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1999 | 12.08 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 12.16 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 11.76 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 11.54 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 11.24 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 10.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 11.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 10.5 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.2% |
| 2007 | 10.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 9.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.3% |
| 2009 | 8.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.4% |
| 2010 | 8.84 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 8.92 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 8.21 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 8.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 7.98 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 7.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 6.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.8% |
| 2017 | 7.3 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.9% |
| 2018 | 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 6.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.9% |
| 2020 | 7.29 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 7.58 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 6.83 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.9% |
| 2023 | 8.3 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.5% |
| 2024 | 7.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -14.8% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 7.07 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.08 micrograms per cubic meter, 88% of the median. (83 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.08 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.19 micrograms per cubic meter | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.88 micrograms per cubic meter | 12.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.89 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.41 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.83 micrograms per cubic meter | 8.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 5 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 162 Andorra 7.16 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 163 Comoros 7.15 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 164 Mayotte 7.13 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 165 Algeria 7.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 167 Jersey 6.98 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 168 Suriname 6.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More environment data for United States
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.16 Percentage change (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.3672 % 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 -0.624 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0.1269 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per unit of 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to air pollution from human sources in United States?
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources in United States was 7.07 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 12.19 micrograms per cubic meter in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to air pollution from human sources recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.83 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does United States rank for exposure to air pollution from human sources?
- United States ranks 165th out of 240 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to air pollution from human sources rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.
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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.