Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cook Islands
Cook Islands: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 3.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cook Islands, 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 Cook Islands stood at 3.3 µg/m³.
The figure is down 8.3% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cook Islands peaked at 3.6 µg/m³ in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.7 µg/m³, in 2021.
Cook Islands ranks 233rd of 241 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cook Islands, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 2.8 µg/m³ | -6.7% |
| 2000 | 3.1 µg/m³ | +10.7% |
| 2001 | 3.2 µg/m³ | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 3.3 µg/m³ | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 3.2 µg/m³ | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 3.3 µg/m³ | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 3.4 µg/m³ | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 3.4 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3.3 µg/m³ | -2.9% |
| 2008 | 3.1 µg/m³ | -6.1% |
| 2009 | 3 µg/m³ | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 3.3 µg/m³ | +10.0% |
| 2011 | 3.2 µg/m³ | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 3 µg/m³ | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 3 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3.2 µg/m³ | +6.7% |
| 2015 | 3.4 µg/m³ | +6.2% |
| 2016 | 3 µg/m³ | -11.8% |
| 2017 | 3.1 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 3.5 µg/m³ | +12.9% |
| 2019 | 3.5 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3.6 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 2.7 µg/m³ | -25.0% |
| 2022 | 3.5 µg/m³ | +29.6% |
| 2023 | 3.6 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 3.3 µg/m³ | -8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.9 µg/m³ | 2.8 µg/m³ | 3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.23 µg/m³ | 3 µg/m³ | 3.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.22 µg/m³ | 3 µg/m³ | 3.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.34 µg/m³ | 2.7 µg/m³ | 3.6 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cook Islands
- 231 French Polynesia 3.6 µg/m³ compare
- 232 Norfolk Island 3.5 µg/m³ compare
- 233 Palau 3.3 µg/m³ compare
- 235 Niue 3.2 µg/m³ compare
- 236 Pitcairn 3.1 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Cook Islands
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.214 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.886 °C (2025)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Value US$, 2015 6.54 million USD (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth US$ -8.44 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth US$ 2.32 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth -8.44 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Annual growth 3.91 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Share of GDP 1.78 % (2024)
- Value Added (Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing) — Share of GDP US$ 1.78 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cook Islands?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cook Islands was 3.3 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 Cook Islands?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6 µg/m³ in 2020.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Cook Islands?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.7 µg/m³ in 2021.
- How does Cook Islands rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Cook Islands ranks 233rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Cook Islands?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cook Islands 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.