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.
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
- Forest area 15,590 hectares (2025)
- Share of global forest area 0.0% (2025)
- Annual change in forest area 0 hectares (2025)
- Annual change in forest area as a share of forest area 0.0% (2025)
- Annual change in forest area vs. GDP per capita 0.0% (2025)
- Change in domestic forest area vs. deforestation embedded in imported goods 0 hectares (2025)
- Emissions of air pollutants 616.51 tonnes (2022)
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources 1.14 micrograms per cubic meter (2024)
- Using improved water sources: urban vs. rural population 99.5% (2024)
- Share of urban population using at least basic water services 99.5% (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.