Outdoor air pollution exposure in New Zealand
New Zealand: Outdoor air pollution exposure was 7 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
7
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
193rd
of 241 countries
All-time high
8.2
in 2019
All-time low
6.3
in 1999
Years of data
27
1998–2024
Outdoor air pollution exposure in New Zealand, 1998–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, outdoor air pollution exposure in New Zealand stood at 7.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, outdoor air pollution exposure in New Zealand peaked at 8.2 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 6.3, in 1999.
New Zealand ranks 193rd of 241 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Outdoor air pollution exposure in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 6.5 | — |
| 1999 | 6.3 | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 6.7 | +6.3% |
| 2001 | 6.8 | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 6.7 | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 6.8 | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 6.6 | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 6.7 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 6.7 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6.8 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 6.9 | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 6.7 | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 6.9 | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 7.1 | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 6.9 | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 7.1 | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 6.9 | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 7 | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 7.1 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 7.2 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 7.1 | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 8.2 | +15.5% |
| 2020 | 7.3 | -11.0% |
| 2021 | 7 | -4.1% |
| 2022 | 7.3 | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 7.1 | -2.7% |
| 2024 | 7 | -1.4% |
New Zealand compared with similar countries
- New Zealand's 7 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.3, 68% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- New Zealand's 7 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9, 79% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 2 |
| 2000s | 6.74 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.15 | 6.9 | 8.2 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.14 | 7 | 7.3 | 5 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 190 Guernsey 7.4 compare
- 190 Ireland 7.4 compare
- 192 Puerto Rico 7.3 compare
- 193 Canada 7 compare
- 193 Solomon Islands 7 compare
- 196 Seychelles 6.9 compare
More environment data for New Zealand
- Grazing land use over the long-term, annual growth rate -2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per unit of GDP 0 hectares per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per capita 1.63 hectares per person (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.2131 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.69 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.379 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.23 °C (2025)
- Grazing land use over the long-term, per square kilometre 33.62 hectares per square kilometre (2024)
- Sawnwood, coniferous — Production, annual growth rate 11.46 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is outdoor air pollution exposure in New Zealand?
- Outdoor air pollution exposure in New Zealand was 7 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2 in 2019.
- What is the lowest outdoor air pollution exposure recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3 in 1999.
- How does New Zealand rank for outdoor air pollution exposure?
- New Zealand ranks 193rd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is outdoor air pollution exposure rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this New Zealand data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Outdoor air pollution exposure. 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).