Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Macao
Macao: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 19.7 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Macao, 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
Macao recorded 19.7 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 38.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Macao peaked at 34.7 µg/m³ in 2012 and was at its lowest, 18.6 µg/m³, in 1999.
Macao ranks 90th 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 Macao, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 20.2 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 18.6 µg/m³ | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 25 µg/m³ | +34.4% |
| 2001 | 26.2 µg/m³ | +4.8% |
| 2002 | 26.1 µg/m³ | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 29.2 µg/m³ | +11.9% |
| 2004 | 33.5 µg/m³ | +14.7% |
| 2005 | 32.2 µg/m³ | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 34.1 µg/m³ | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 34 µg/m³ | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 32.5 µg/m³ | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 32.8 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 26 µg/m³ | -20.7% |
| 2011 | 33 µg/m³ | +26.9% |
| 2012 | 34.7 µg/m³ | +5.2% |
| 2013 | 34.2 µg/m³ | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 32.1 µg/m³ | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 29.7 µg/m³ | -7.5% |
| 2016 | 26.5 µg/m³ | -10.8% |
| 2017 | 29 µg/m³ | +9.4% |
| 2018 | 26.6 µg/m³ | -8.3% |
| 2019 | 26 µg/m³ | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 19.1 µg/m³ | -26.5% |
| 2021 | 20.1 µg/m³ | +5.2% |
| 2022 | 19.2 µg/m³ | -4.5% |
| 2023 | 20.1 µg/m³ | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 19.7 µg/m³ | -2.0% |
Macao compared with similar countries
- Macao's 19.7 µg/m³ is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 1.9× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Macao's 19.7 µg/m³ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 2.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.4 µg/m³ | 18.6 µg/m³ | 20.2 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 30.56 µg/m³ | 25 µg/m³ | 34.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.78 µg/m³ | 26 µg/m³ | 34.7 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.64 µg/m³ | 19.1 µg/m³ | 20.1 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Macao
More environment data for Macao
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -3.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.98 Percentage change (2025)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e) 7.41 % change on previous year (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), per 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) (Mt) 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt) 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) (Mt) 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Macao?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Macao was 19.7 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 Macao?
- The highest recorded value was 34.7 µg/m³ in 2012.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Macao?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.6 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Macao rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Macao ranks 90th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Macao?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Macao 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.