Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Guatemala
Guatemala: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 27.7 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Guatemala, 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 Guatemala is 27.7 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 8.2% on the previous year and up 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Guatemala peaked at 35.7 µg/m³ in 1998 and was at its lowest, 20.4 µg/m³, in 2004.
That places Guatemala 51st out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 35.7 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 20.5 µg/m³ | -42.6% |
| 2000 | 26.2 µg/m³ | +27.8% |
| 2001 | 23.7 µg/m³ | -9.5% |
| 2002 | 21.2 µg/m³ | -10.5% |
| 2003 | 28.4 µg/m³ | +34.0% |
| 2004 | 20.4 µg/m³ | -28.2% |
| 2005 | 28.1 µg/m³ | +37.7% |
| 2006 | 22.6 µg/m³ | -19.6% |
| 2007 | 25.1 µg/m³ | +11.1% |
| 2008 | 23.9 µg/m³ | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 26.2 µg/m³ | +9.6% |
| 2010 | 24.8 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2011 | 25.9 µg/m³ | +4.4% |
| 2012 | 24.7 µg/m³ | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 27.1 µg/m³ | +9.7% |
| 2014 | 24.2 µg/m³ | -10.7% |
| 2015 | 22.9 µg/m³ | -5.4% |
| 2016 | 24.4 µg/m³ | +6.6% |
| 2017 | 24.4 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 22.6 µg/m³ | -7.4% |
| 2019 | 25.3 µg/m³ | +11.9% |
| 2020 | 27.4 µg/m³ | +8.3% |
| 2021 | 25.4 µg/m³ | -7.3% |
| 2022 | 23.6 µg/m³ | -7.1% |
| 2023 | 25.6 µg/m³ | +8.5% |
| 2024 | 27.7 µg/m³ | +8.2% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 27.7 µg/m³ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 1.6× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 27.7 µg/m³ is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.75 µg/m³, 2.0× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.1 µg/m³ | 20.5 µg/m³ | 35.7 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 24.58 µg/m³ | 20.4 µg/m³ | 28.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.63 µg/m³ | 22.6 µg/m³ | 27.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.94 µg/m³ | 23.6 µg/m³ | 27.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More environment data for Guatemala
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.45 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.02 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.273 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.47 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.11 % 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 0 % 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 Guatemala?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Guatemala was 27.7 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 35.7 µg/m³ in 1998.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.4 µg/m³ in 2004.
- How does Guatemala rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Guatemala ranks 51st out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.