Long run air pollution in Australia
Australia: Long run air pollution was 1.04 million in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
1.04 million
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
23rd
of 220 countries
All-time high
1.60 million
in 1996
All-time low
0
in 1750
Years of data
273
1750–2022
Long run air pollution in Australia, 1750–2022
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Australia recorded 1.04 million for long run air pollution in 2022.
That represents a change of down 2.6% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, long run air pollution in Australia peaked at 1.60 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0, in 1750.
That places Australia 23rd out of 220 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Long run air pollution in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1750 | 0 | — |
| 1751 | 0 | — |
| 1752 | 0 | — |
| 1753 | 0 | — |
| 1754 | 0 | — |
| 1755 | 0 | — |
| 1756 | 0 | — |
| 1757 | 0 | — |
| 1758 | 0 | — |
| 1759 | 0 | — |
| 1760 | 0 | — |
| 1761 | 0 | — |
| 1762 | 0 | — |
| 1763 | 0 | — |
| 1764 | 0 | — |
| 1765 | 0 | — |
| 1766 | 0 | — |
| 1767 | 0 | — |
| 1768 | 0 | — |
| 1769 | 0 | — |
| 1770 | 0 | — |
| 1771 | 0 | — |
| 1772 | 0 | — |
| 1773 | 0 | — |
| 1774 | 0 | — |
| 1775 | 0 | — |
| 1776 | 0 | — |
| 1777 | 0 | — |
| 1778 | 0 | — |
| 1779 | 0 | — |
| 1780 | 0 | — |
| 1781 | 0.2775 | — |
| 1782 | 0.555 | +100.0% |
| 1783 | 0.8325 | +50.0% |
| 1784 | 1.11 | +33.3% |
| 1785 | 1.39 | +25.0% |
| 1786 | 1.66 | +20.0% |
| 1787 | 1.94 | +16.7% |
| 1788 | 2.22 | +14.3% |
| 1789 | 2.5 | +12.5% |
| 1790 | 2.77 | +11.1% |
| 1791 | 3.41 | +23.0% |
| 1792 | 4.05 | +18.7% |
| 1793 | 4.69 | +15.8% |
| 1794 | 5.33 | +13.6% |
| 1795 | 5.97 | +12.0% |
| 1796 | 6.61 | +10.7% |
| 1797 | 7.25 | +9.7% |
| 1798 | 7.88 | +8.8% |
| 1799 | 8.52 | +8.1% |
| 1800 | 9.16 | +7.5% |
| 1801 | 11.3 | +23.4% |
| 1802 | 13.45 | +19.0% |
| 1803 | 15.6 | +16.0% |
| 1804 | 17.76 | +13.8% |
| 1805 | 19.92 | +12.2% |
| 1806 | 22.09 | +10.9% |
| 1807 | 24.27 | +9.8% |
| 1808 | 26.45 | +9.0% |
| 1809 | 28.63 | +8.3% |
| 1810 | 30.82 | +7.7% |
| 1811 | 38.48 | +24.9% |
| 1812 | 46.16 | +20.0% |
| 1813 | 53.86 | +16.7% |
| 1814 | 61.58 | +14.3% |
| 1815 | 69.32 | +12.6% |
| 1816 | 77.07 | +11.2% |
| 1817 | 84.85 | +10.1% |
| 1818 | 92.64 | +9.2% |
| 1819 | 100.46 | +8.4% |
| 1820 | 108.29 | +7.8% |
| 1821 | 133.41 | +23.2% |
| 1822 | 158.58 | +18.9% |
| 1823 | 183.82 | +15.9% |
| 1824 | 209.13 | +13.8% |
| 1825 | 234.49 | +12.1% |
| 1826 | 259.91 | +10.8% |
| 1827 | 285.4 | +9.8% |
| 1828 | 310.95 | +9.0% |
| 1829 | 336.57 | +8.2% |
| 1830 | 362.25 | +7.6% |
| 1831 | 416.16 | +14.9% |
| 1832 | 470.21 | +13.0% |
| 1833 | 524.39 | +11.5% |
| 1834 | 578.71 | +10.4% |
| 1835 | 633.15 | +9.4% |
| 1836 | 687.71 | +8.6% |
| 1837 | 742.42 | +8.0% |
| 1838 | 797.25 | +7.4% |
| 1839 | 852.23 | +6.9% |
| 1840 | 907.33 | +6.5% |
| 1841 | 1,076 | +18.6% |
| 1842 | 1,245 | +15.7% |
| 1843 | 1,414 | +13.6% |
| 1844 | 1,584 | +12.0% |
| 1845 | 1,754 | +10.7% |
| 1846 | 1,925 | +9.7% |
| 1847 | 2,096 | +8.9% |
| 1848 | 2,267 | +8.2% |
| 1849 | 2,439 | +7.6% |
| 1850 | 2,580 | +5.8% |
| 1851 | 3,046 | +18.1% |
| 1852 | 3,513 | +15.3% |
| 1853 | 3,980 | +13.3% |
| 1854 | 4,448 | +11.8% |
| 1855 | 4,918 | +10.5% |
| 1856 | 5,569 | +13.2% |
| 1857 | 6,221 | +11.7% |
| 1858 | 6,875 | +10.5% |
| 1859 | 7,529 | +9.5% |
| 1860 | 8,180 | +8.7% |
| 1861 | 9,162 | +12.0% |
| 1862 | 9,151 | -0.1% |
| 1863 | 9,656 | +5.5% |
| 1864 | 9,709 | +0.5% |
| 1865 | 10,502 | +8.2% |
| 1866 | 11,659 | +11.0% |
| 1867 | 12,617 | +8.2% |
| 1868 | 12,646 | +0.2% |
| 1869 | 12,866 | +1.7% |
| 1870 | 13,214 | +2.7% |
| 1871 | 14,099 | +6.7% |
| 1872 | 14,787 | +4.9% |
| 1873 | 15,856 | +7.2% |
| 1874 | 16,568 | +4.5% |
| 1875 | 17,063 | +3.0% |
| 1876 | 17,918 | +5.0% |
| 1877 | 18,861 | +5.3% |
| 1878 | 19,199 | +1.8% |
| 1879 | 21,055 | +9.7% |
| 1880 | 23,596 | +12.1% |
| 1881 | 23,316 | -1.2% |
| 1882 | 24,813 | +6.4% |
| 1883 | 26,750 | +7.8% |
| 1884 | 27,999 | +4.7% |
| 1885 | 29,733 | +6.2% |
| 1886 | 30,519 | +2.6% |
| 1887 | 31,735 | +4.0% |
| 1888 | 33,855 | +6.7% |
| 1889 | 34,434 | +1.7% |
| 1890 | 35,594 | +3.4% |
| 1891 | 36,613 | +2.9% |
| 1892 | 36,810 | +0.5% |
| 1893 | 36,154 | -1.8% |
| 1894 | 37,007 | +2.4% |
| 1895 | 37,437 | +1.2% |
| 1896 | 38,189 | +2.0% |
| 1897 | 40,391 | +5.8% |
| 1898 | 43,022 | +6.5% |
| 1899 | 45,519 | +5.8% |
| 1900 | 57,832 | +27.1% |
| 1901 | 62,879 | +8.7% |
| 1902 | 62,431 | -0.7% |
| 1903 | 63,276 | +1.4% |
| 1904 | 64,910 | +2.6% |
| 1905 | 67,091 | +3.4% |
| 1906 | 73,781 | +10.0% |
| 1907 | 77,687 | +5.3% |
| 1908 | 81,520 | +4.9% |
| 1909 | 76,936 | -5.6% |
| 1910 | 83,071 | +8.0% |
| 1911 | 87,064 | +4.8% |
| 1912 | 90,368 | +3.8% |
| 1913 | 93,778 | +3.8% |
| 1914 | 98,353 | +4.9% |
| 1915 | 90,824 | -7.7% |
| 1916 | 83,616 | -7.9% |
| 1917 | 86,465 | +3.4% |
| 1918 | 90,970 | +5.2% |
| 1919 | 87,037 | -4.3% |
| 1920 | 95,876 | +10.2% |
| 1921 | 89,520 | -6.6% |
| 1922 | 92,430 | +3.3% |
| 1923 | 93,592 | +1.3% |
| 1924 | 98,976 | +5.8% |
| 1925 | 102,445 | +3.5% |
| 1926 | 102,281 | -0.2% |
| 1927 | 105,383 | +3.0% |
| 1928 | 98,424 | -6.6% |
| 1929 | 92,176 | -6.3% |
| 1930 | 88,332 | -4.2% |
| 1931 | 82,651 | -6.4% |
| 1932 | 84,830 | +2.6% |
| 1933 | 87,698 | +3.4% |
| 1934 | 90,160 | +2.8% |
| 1935 | 95,873 | +6.3% |
| 1936 | 100,250 | +4.6% |
| 1937 | 104,445 | +4.2% |
| 1938 | 102,968 | -1.4% |
| 1939 | 111,782 | +8.6% |
| 1940 | 104,656 | -6.4% |
| 1941 | 117,870 | +12.6% |
| 1942 | 123,235 | +4.6% |
| 1943 | 120,979 | -1.8% |
| 1944 | 120,149 | -0.7% |
| 1945 | 117,491 | -2.2% |
| 1946 | 125,112 | +6.5% |
| 1947 | 132,412 | +5.8% |
| 1948 | 134,870 | +1.9% |
| 1949 | 135,034 | +0.1% |
| 1950 | 247,626 | +83.4% |
| 1951 | 274,461 | +10.8% |
| 1952 | 278,277 | +1.4% |
| 1953 | 261,419 | -6.1% |
| 1954 | 317,143 | +21.3% |
| 1955 | 341,743 | +7.8% |
| 1956 | 361,985 | +5.9% |
| 1957 | 371,251 | +2.6% |
| 1958 | 390,406 | +5.2% |
| 1959 | 415,638 | +6.5% |
| 1960 | 597,216 | +43.7% |
| 1961 | 615,379 | +3.0% |
| 1962 | 630,735 | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 683,073 | +8.3% |
| 1964 | 733,425 | +7.4% |
| 1965 | 780,850 | +6.5% |
| 1966 | 824,343 | +5.6% |
| 1967 | 895,403 | +8.6% |
| 1968 | 963,866 | +7.6% |
| 1969 | 998,813 | +3.6% |
| 1970 | 990,230 | -0.9% |
| 1971 | 1.01 million | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 998,604 | -1.0% |
| 1973 | 1.12 million | +12.2% |
| 1974 | 1.18 million | +5.6% |
| 1975 | 1.19 million | +0.9% |
| 1976 | 1.20 million | +0.7% |
| 1977 | 1.28 million | +6.6% |
| 1978 | 1.32 million | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 1.33 million | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 1.35 million | +1.1% |
| 1981 | 1.35 million | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 1.35 million | -0.0% |
| 1983 | 1.33 million | -2.0% |
| 1984 | 1.35 million | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 1.40 million | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 1.39 million | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 1.44 million | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 1.50 million | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 1.57 million | +5.2% |
| 1990 | 1.60 million | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 1.54 million | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 1.55 million | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 1.54 million | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 1.54 million | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 1.57 million | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 1.60 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.58 million | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 1.58 million | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 1.57 million | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 1.56 million | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 1.52 million | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 1.49 million | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 1.46 million | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.44 million | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 1.45 million | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 1.43 million | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 1.43 million | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 1.42 million | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 1.38 million | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 1.36 million | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 1.31 million | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 1.32 million | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 1.29 million | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 1.29 million | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.27 million | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 1.25 million | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 1.24 million | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 1.27 million | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 1.24 million | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 1.15 million | -7.1% |
| 2021 | 1.07 million | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 1.04 million | -2.6% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 1.04 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 90,409, 11.6× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Australia's 1.04 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 102,909, 10.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Long run air pollution in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1782 | +100.0% | 0.2775 | 0.555 |
| 1950 | +83.4% | 135,034 | 247,626 |
| 1783 | +50.0% | 0.555 | 0.8325 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1750s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1760s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1770s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| 1780s | 1.25 | 0 | 2.5 | 10 |
| 1790s | 5.65 | 2.77 | 8.52 | 10 |
| 1800s | 18.86 | 9.16 | 28.63 | 10 |
| 1810s | 65.52 | 30.82 | 100.46 | 10 |
| 1820s | 222.06 | 108.29 | 336.57 | 10 |
| 1830s | 606.45 | 362.25 | 852.23 | 10 |
| 1840s | 1,671 | 907.33 | 2,439 | 10 |
| 1850s | 4,868 | 2,580 | 7,529 | 10 |
| 1860s | 10,615 | 8,180 | 12,866 | 10 |
| 1870s | 16,862 | 13,214 | 21,055 | 10 |
| 1880s | 28,675 | 23,316 | 34,434 | 10 |
| 1890s | 38,674 | 35,594 | 45,519 | 10 |
| 1900s | 68,834 | 57,832 | 81,520 | 10 |
| 1910s | 89,155 | 83,071 | 98,353 | 10 |
| 1920s | 97,110 | 89,520 | 105,383 | 10 |
| 1930s | 94,899 | 82,651 | 111,782 | 10 |
| 1940s | 123,181 | 104,656 | 135,034 | 10 |
| 1950s | 325,995 | 247,626 | 415,638 | 10 |
| 1960s | 772,310 | 597,216 | 998,813 | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.16 million | 990,230 | 1.33 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.40 million | 1.33 million | 1.57 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.57 million | 1.54 million | 1.60 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.46 million | 1.38 million | 1.56 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.28 million | 1.24 million | 1.36 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.09 million | 1.04 million | 1.15 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More environment data for Australia
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate 0.2163 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0.0002 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 11.54 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.75 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.345 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 41.36 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate -5.11 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is long run air pollution in Australia?
- Long run air pollution in Australia was 1.04 million in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest long run air pollution recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.60 million in 1996.
- What is the lowest long run air pollution recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 1750.
- How does Australia rank for long run air pollution?
- Australia ranks 23rd out of 220 countries with data for 2022.
- Is long run air pollution rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Long run air pollution. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 273 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).