Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 20.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
20.5 µg/m³
Change on year
up 8.5%
World rank
81st
of 241 countries
All-time high
21.1 µg/m³
in 1998
All-time low
15.8 µg/m³
in 1999
Years of data
27
1998–2024

Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua, 1998–2024

051015201998201120241998: 21.1 µg/m³1999: 15.8 µg/m³2000: 18.8 µg/m³2001: 18.3 µg/m³2002: 17.6 µg/m³2003: 20 µg/m³2004: 17.3 µg/m³2005: 19.8 µg/m³2006: 17.7 µg/m³2007: 19.6 µg/m³2008: 18.6 µg/m³2009: 17.2 µg/m³2010: 18.4 µg/m³2011: 18.8 µg/m³2012: 18 µg/m³2013: 20.4 µg/m³2014: 18.2 µg/m³2015: 18.8 µg/m³2016: 18.6 µg/m³2017: 19.2 µg/m³2018: 18.4 µg/m³2019: 18 µg/m³2020: 19.4 µg/m³2021: 17.3 µg/m³2022: 18.4 µg/m³2023: 18.9 µg/m³2024: 20.5 µg/m³

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 Nicaragua stood at 20.5 µg/m³.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.5% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua peaked at 21.1 µg/m³ in 1998 and was at its lowest, 15.8 µg/m³, in 1999.

Nicaragua ranks 81st of 241 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 18.45 µg/m³ 15.8 µg/m³ 21.1 µg/m³ 2
2000s 18.49 µg/m³ 17.2 µg/m³ 20 µg/m³ 10
2010s 18.68 µg/m³ 18 µg/m³ 20.4 µg/m³ 10
2020s 18.9 µg/m³ 17.3 µg/m³ 20.5 µg/m³ 5

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

  1. 78 North Macedonia 20.7 µg/m³ compare
  2. 78 Sri Lanka 20.7 µg/m³ compare
  3. 80 Bulgaria 20.6 µg/m³ compare
  4. 82 Israel 20.4 µg/m³ compare
  5. 83 Costa Rica 20.3 µg/m³ compare
  6. 84 Cote d'Ivoire 20.2 µg/m³ compare
  7. 84 Ethiopia 20.2 µg/m³ compare
  8. 84 Sierra Leone 20.2 µg/m³ compare
  9. 84 Tunisia 20.2 µg/m³ compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More environment data for Nicaragua

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua?
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua was 20.5 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 Nicaragua?
The highest recorded value was 21.1 µg/m³ in 1998.
What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Nicaragua?
The lowest recorded value was 15.8 µg/m³ in 1999.
How does Nicaragua rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
Nicaragua ranks 81st out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Nicaragua?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Nicaragua 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

Indicator
Exposure to outdoor air pollution
Unit
µg/m³
Source
SatPM, Atmospheric Composition Analysis Group, Washington University in St. Louis (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
241 places, 6,507 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed

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.