Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Bhutan
Bhutan: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 24.7 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Bhutan, 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
The most recent figure for exposure to outdoor air pollution in Bhutan is 24.7 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 19.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Bhutan peaked at 34.5 µg/m³ in 2009 and was at its lowest, 16.6 µg/m³, in 1998.
That places Bhutan 61st out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Bhutan, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.6 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 17 µg/m³ | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 23.1 µg/m³ | +35.9% |
| 2001 | 26.3 µg/m³ | +13.9% |
| 2002 | 26.2 µg/m³ | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 26 µg/m³ | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 26 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 27.3 µg/m³ | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 29.1 µg/m³ | +6.6% |
| 2007 | 27.6 µg/m³ | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 29.4 µg/m³ | +6.5% |
| 2009 | 34.5 µg/m³ | +17.3% |
| 2010 | 27.6 µg/m³ | -20.0% |
| 2011 | 29.6 µg/m³ | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 31.4 µg/m³ | +6.1% |
| 2013 | 26.5 µg/m³ | -15.6% |
| 2014 | 30.6 µg/m³ | +15.5% |
| 2015 | 30.9 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 29.2 µg/m³ | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 29.5 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 32 µg/m³ | +8.5% |
| 2019 | 30 µg/m³ | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 29.5 µg/m³ | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 30.8 µg/m³ | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 23.7 µg/m³ | -23.1% |
| 2023 | 24.6 µg/m³ | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 24.7 µg/m³ | +0.4% |
Bhutan compared with similar countries
- Bhutan's 24.7 µg/m³ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Bhutan's 24.7 µg/m³ is below the median for South Asia, which is 32.7 µg/m³, 76% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.8 µg/m³ | 16.6 µg/m³ | 17 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 27.55 µg/m³ | 23.1 µg/m³ | 34.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.73 µg/m³ | 26.5 µg/m³ | 32 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.66 µg/m³ | 23.7 µg/m³ | 30.8 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bhutan
More environment data for Bhutan
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.2782 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.5977 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.257 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.08 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.487 % 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 -5.53 % 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 Bhutan?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Bhutan was 24.7 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 Bhutan?
- The highest recorded value was 34.5 µg/m³ in 2009.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Bhutan?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.6 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Bhutan rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Bhutan ranks 61st out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Bhutan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bhutan 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.