Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mexico
Mexico: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 18.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mexico, 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
Mexico recorded 18.3 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
The figure is up 7.6% on the previous year and up 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mexico peaked at 19.8 µg/m³ in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.8 µg/m³, in 1999.
That places Mexico 94th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 27 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.25 µg/m³ | 14.8 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 17.94 µg/m³ | 16.7 µg/m³ | 19.8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.89 µg/m³ | 15.9 µg/m³ | 17.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.26 µg/m³ | 16.8 µg/m³ | 18.3 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More environment data for Mexico
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 686.78 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.25 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 87.24 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 2.11 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 11.8 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0973 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 150.68 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.2057 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.6771 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 48.48 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mexico?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Mexico was 18.3 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 19.8 µg/m³ in 2000.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.8 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Mexico rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Mexico ranks 94th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mexico 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.