Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belize
Belize: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 14.4 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belize, 1998–2024
Source: SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in µg/m³.
Analysis
In 2024, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belize stood at 14.4 µg/m³.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 18.0% on the previous year and up 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belize peaked at 14.8 µg/m³ in 2003 and was at its lowest, 10.4 µg/m³, in 2012.
That places Belize 125th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belize, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 14.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 11 µg/m³ | -23.6% |
| 2000 | 12.7 µg/m³ | +15.5% |
| 2001 | 13 µg/m³ | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 11.9 µg/m³ | -8.5% |
| 2003 | 14.8 µg/m³ | +24.4% |
| 2004 | 11.5 µg/m³ | -22.3% |
| 2005 | 13.9 µg/m³ | +20.9% |
| 2006 | 12.4 µg/m³ | -10.8% |
| 2007 | 12.7 µg/m³ | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 11.2 µg/m³ | -11.8% |
| 2009 | 11.2 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 11.1 µg/m³ | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 13.3 µg/m³ | +19.8% |
| 2012 | 10.4 µg/m³ | -21.8% |
| 2013 | 12.9 µg/m³ | +24.0% |
| 2014 | 12.2 µg/m³ | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 12.1 µg/m³ | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 10.9 µg/m³ | -9.9% |
| 2017 | 10.7 µg/m³ | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 11.3 µg/m³ | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 11.2 µg/m³ | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 13.3 µg/m³ | +18.8% |
| 2021 | 11.1 µg/m³ | -16.5% |
| 2022 | 11.2 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 12.2 µg/m³ | +8.9% |
| 2024 | 14.4 µg/m³ | +18.0% |
Belize compared with similar countries
- Belize's 14.4 µg/m³ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 84% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Belize's 14.4 µg/m³ is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.75 µg/m³, 1.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.7 µg/m³ | 11 µg/m³ | 14.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.53 µg/m³ | 11.2 µg/m³ | 14.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.61 µg/m³ | 10.4 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.44 µg/m³ | 11.1 µg/m³ | 14.4 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belize
More environment data for Belize
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.66 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.87 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.287 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.35 % 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 0.0489 % 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 outdoor air pollution in Belize?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Belize was 14.4 µg/m³ in 2024, according to SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Belize?
- The highest recorded value was 14.8 µg/m³ in 2003.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Belize?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.4 µg/m³ in 2012.
- How does Belize rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Belize ranks 125th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Belize?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belize data come from?
- The figures come from SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to outdoor air pollution. 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.