Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cuba
Cuba: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 9.9 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cuba, 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 Cuba stood at 9.9 µg/m³.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cuba peaked at 11.9 µg/m³ in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9 µg/m³, in 2008.
Cuba ranks 169th of 241 countries on this measure, 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 Cuba, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 11.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 10.8 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2000 | 11.9 µg/m³ | +10.2% |
| 2001 | 11.3 µg/m³ | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 10.7 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 10.6 µg/m³ | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 9.8 µg/m³ | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 10 µg/m³ | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 10.1 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 10.5 µg/m³ | +4.0% |
| 2008 | 9 µg/m³ | -14.3% |
| 2009 | 9.3 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 9.7 µg/m³ | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 9.8 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 9.1 µg/m³ | -7.1% |
| 2013 | 9.1 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 9.5 µg/m³ | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 9.3 µg/m³ | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 9.3 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9.2 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 9.7 µg/m³ | +5.4% |
| 2019 | 9.4 µg/m³ | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 9.5 µg/m³ | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 9.5 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 9.1 µg/m³ | -4.2% |
| 2023 | 9.7 µg/m³ | +6.6% |
| 2024 | 9.9 µg/m³ | +2.1% |
Cuba compared with similar countries
- Cuba's 9.9 µg/m³ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 58% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Cuba's 9.9 µg/m³ is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.75 µg/m³, 72% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.1 µg/m³ | 10.8 µg/m³ | 11.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 10.32 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ | 11.9 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.41 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.54 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 9.9 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
- 166 Austria 10.3 µg/m³ compare
- 167 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 10.2 µg/m³ compare
- 168 Spain 10 µg/m³ compare
- 169 Bonaire Sint Eustatius and Saba 9.9 µg/m³ compare
- 171 Mayotte 9.8 µg/m³ compare
- 172 Falkland Islands 9.7 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Cuba
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.3 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.17 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.278 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.4 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2020)
- 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 -1.97 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cuba?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Cuba was 9.9 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 Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 11.9 µg/m³ in 2000.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was 9 µg/m³ in 2008.
- How does Cuba rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Cuba ranks 169th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cuba 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.