Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal

Portugal: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 10.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
10.5 µg/m³
Change on year
up 25.0%
World rank
161st
of 241 countries
All-time high
15 µg/m³
in 2005
All-time low
8 µg/m³
in 2019
Years of data
27
1998–2024

Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal, 1998–2024

0510151998201120241998: 12.8 µg/m³1999: 11 µg/m³2000: 11.8 µg/m³2001: 12 µg/m³2002: 12.4 µg/m³2003: 11.7 µg/m³2004: 10.1 µg/m³2005: 15 µg/m³2006: 12.7 µg/m³2007: 12.4 µg/m³2008: 8.9 µg/m³2009: 9.6 µg/m³2010: 9.3 µg/m³2011: 10 µg/m³2012: 8.7 µg/m³2013: 9.3 µg/m³2014: 8.4 µg/m³2015: 10.3 µg/m³2016: 9.9 µg/m³2017: 10.3 µg/m³2018: 9.3 µg/m³2019: 8 µg/m³2020: 8.3 µg/m³2021: 8.4 µg/m³2022: 9.1 µg/m³2023: 8.4 µg/m³2024: 10.5 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

The most recent figure for exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal is 10.5 µg/m³, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 25.0% on the previous year and up 25.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal peaked at 15 µg/m³ in 2005 and was at its lowest, 8 µg/m³, in 2019.

Portugal ranks 161st 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.9 µg/m³ 11 µg/m³ 12.8 µg/m³ 2
2000s 11.66 µg/m³ 8.9 µg/m³ 15 µg/m³ 10
2010s 9.35 µg/m³ 8 µg/m³ 10.3 µg/m³ 10
2020s 8.94 µg/m³ 8.3 µg/m³ 10.5 µg/m³ 5

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 158 Maldives 10.7 µg/m³ compare
  2. 158 Monaco 10.7 µg/m³ compare
  3. 160 Grenada 10.6 µg/m³ compare
  4. 161 Comoros 10.5 µg/m³ compare
  5. 161 Japan 10.5 µg/m³ compare
  6. 164 Saint Lucia 10.4 µg/m³ compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More environment data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal?
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal was 10.5 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 Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 15 µg/m³ in 2005.
What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 8 µg/m³ in 2019.
How does Portugal rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
Portugal ranks 161st out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is up 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal 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.