Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Brazil
Brazil: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 15.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Brazil, 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 Brazil is 15.3 µg/m³, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 10.1% on the previous year and up 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Brazil peaked at 15.3 µg/m³ in 2024 and was at its lowest, 9.7 µg/m³, in 1999.
Brazil ranks 115th of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Brazil, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 10.5 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 9.7 µg/m³ | -7.6% |
| 2000 | 11.6 µg/m³ | +19.6% |
| 2001 | 12.2 µg/m³ | +5.2% |
| 2002 | 13 µg/m³ | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 12.9 µg/m³ | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 13.1 µg/m³ | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 13.2 µg/m³ | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 12.7 µg/m³ | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 13.9 µg/m³ | +9.4% |
| 2008 | 13.2 µg/m³ | -5.0% |
| 2009 | 13.4 µg/m³ | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 13.5 µg/m³ | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 12.9 µg/m³ | -4.4% |
| 2012 | 12.9 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12.6 µg/m³ | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 12.4 µg/m³ | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 13.4 µg/m³ | +8.1% |
| 2016 | 13.1 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 13.4 µg/m³ | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 12.8 µg/m³ | -4.5% |
| 2019 | 13.5 µg/m³ | +5.5% |
| 2020 | 13.3 µg/m³ | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 13.3 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 14.1 µg/m³ | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 13.9 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2024 | 15.3 µg/m³ | +10.1% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 15.3 µg/m³ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 89% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 15.3 µg/m³ is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.75 µg/m³, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.1 µg/m³ | 9.7 µg/m³ | 10.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.92 µg/m³ | 11.6 µg/m³ | 13.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.05 µg/m³ | 12.4 µg/m³ | 13.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.98 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More environment data for Brazil
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -6.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -8.24 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.221 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.36 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.155 % 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 -2.73 % 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 Brazil?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Brazil was 15.3 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 15.3 µg/m³ in 2024.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.7 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Brazil rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Brazil ranks 115th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil 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.