Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua
Nicaragua: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 20.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▬ Flat
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua, 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 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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Nicaragua, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 21.1 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 15.8 µg/m³ | -25.1% |
| 2000 | 18.8 µg/m³ | +19.0% |
| 2001 | 18.3 µg/m³ | -2.7% |
| 2002 | 17.6 µg/m³ | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 20 µg/m³ | +13.6% |
| 2004 | 17.3 µg/m³ | -13.5% |
| 2005 | 19.8 µg/m³ | +14.5% |
| 2006 | 17.7 µg/m³ | -10.6% |
| 2007 | 19.6 µg/m³ | +10.7% |
| 2008 | 18.6 µg/m³ | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 17.2 µg/m³ | -7.5% |
| 2010 | 18.4 µg/m³ | +7.0% |
| 2011 | 18.8 µg/m³ | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 18 µg/m³ | -4.3% |
| 2013 | 20.4 µg/m³ | +13.3% |
| 2014 | 18.2 µg/m³ | -10.8% |
| 2015 | 18.8 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 18.6 µg/m³ | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 19.2 µg/m³ | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 18.4 µg/m³ | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 18 µg/m³ | -2.2% |
| 2020 | 19.4 µg/m³ | +7.8% |
| 2021 | 17.3 µg/m³ | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 18.4 µg/m³ | +6.4% |
| 2023 | 18.9 µg/m³ | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 20.5 µg/m³ | +8.5% |
Nicaragua compared with similar countries
- Nicaragua's 20.5 µg/m³ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 83% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nicaragua's 20.5 µg/m³ is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 13.75 µg/m³, 1.5× the median. (42 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
- 78 North Macedonia 20.7 µg/m³ compare
- 78 Sri Lanka 20.7 µg/m³ compare
- 80 Bulgaria 20.6 µg/m³ compare
- 82 Israel 20.4 µg/m³ compare
- 83 Costa Rica 20.3 µg/m³ compare
- 84 Cote d'Ivoire 20.2 µg/m³ compare
- 84 Ethiopia 20.2 µg/m³ compare
- 84 Sierra Leone 20.2 µg/m³ compare
- 84 Tunisia 20.2 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Nicaragua
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 3.64 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 4.53 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Standard Deviation 0.243 °C (2024)
- Temperature change 1.89 °C (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.04 % 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 -0.0474 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
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
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.