Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kiribati
Kiribati: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 3.7 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kiribati, 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 Kiribati stood at 3.7 µg/m³.
The figure is down 22.9% on the previous year and down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kiribati peaked at 5.6 µg/m³ in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3.2 µg/m³, in 1998.
That places Kiribati 229th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Kiribati, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3.2 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 3.3 µg/m³ | +3.1% |
| 2000 | 3.4 µg/m³ | +3.0% |
| 2001 | 3.5 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2002 | 3.9 µg/m³ | +11.4% |
| 2003 | 3.4 µg/m³ | -12.8% |
| 2004 | 3.7 µg/m³ | +8.8% |
| 2005 | 4.3 µg/m³ | +16.2% |
| 2006 | 4.6 µg/m³ | +7.0% |
| 2007 | 4.5 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 4 µg/m³ | -11.1% |
| 2009 | 5.1 µg/m³ | +27.5% |
| 2010 | 4.6 µg/m³ | -9.8% |
| 2011 | 4.2 µg/m³ | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 4 µg/m³ | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 4.1 µg/m³ | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 4.3 µg/m³ | +4.9% |
| 2015 | 5.6 µg/m³ | +30.2% |
| 2016 | 3.8 µg/m³ | -32.1% |
| 2017 | 3.6 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 3.8 µg/m³ | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 5.2 µg/m³ | +36.8% |
| 2020 | 3.8 µg/m³ | -26.9% |
| 2021 | 3.5 µg/m³ | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 3.8 µg/m³ | +8.6% |
| 2023 | 4.8 µg/m³ | +26.3% |
| 2024 | 3.7 µg/m³ | -22.9% |
Kiribati compared with similar countries
- Kiribati's 3.7 µg/m³ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 15% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kiribati's 3.7 µg/m³ is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 42% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.25 µg/m³ | 3.2 µg/m³ | 3.3 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.04 µg/m³ | 3.4 µg/m³ | 5.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.32 µg/m³ | 3.6 µg/m³ | 5.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.92 µg/m³ | 3.5 µg/m³ | 4.8 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kiribati
- 226 American Samoa 3.8 µg/m³ compare
- 226 Nauru 3.8 µg/m³ compare
- 226 Tonga 3.8 µg/m³ compare
- 229 Christmas Island 3.7 µg/m³ compare
- 231 French Polynesia 3.6 µg/m³ compare
- 232 Norfolk Island 3.5 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Kiribati
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.182 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.02 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.97 % 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 3.12 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kiribati?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Kiribati was 3.7 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 Kiribati?
- The highest recorded value was 5.6 µg/m³ in 2015.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Kiribati?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2 µg/m³ in 1998.
- How does Kiribati rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Kiribati ranks 229th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Kiribati?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kiribati 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.