Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal
Portugal: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 10.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal, 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
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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Portugal, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12.8 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 11 µg/m³ | -14.1% |
| 2000 | 11.8 µg/m³ | +7.3% |
| 2001 | 12 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 12.4 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 11.7 µg/m³ | -5.6% |
| 2004 | 10.1 µg/m³ | -13.7% |
| 2005 | 15 µg/m³ | +48.5% |
| 2006 | 12.7 µg/m³ | -15.3% |
| 2007 | 12.4 µg/m³ | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 8.9 µg/m³ | -28.2% |
| 2009 | 9.6 µg/m³ | +7.9% |
| 2010 | 9.3 µg/m³ | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 10 µg/m³ | +7.5% |
| 2012 | 8.7 µg/m³ | -13.0% |
| 2013 | 9.3 µg/m³ | +6.9% |
| 2014 | 8.4 µg/m³ | -9.7% |
| 2015 | 10.3 µg/m³ | +22.6% |
| 2016 | 9.9 µg/m³ | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 10.3 µg/m³ | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 9.3 µg/m³ | -9.7% |
| 2019 | 8 µg/m³ | -14.0% |
| 2020 | 8.3 µg/m³ | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 8.4 µg/m³ | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 9.1 µg/m³ | +8.3% |
| 2023 | 8.4 µg/m³ | -7.7% |
| 2024 | 10.5 µg/m³ | +25.0% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 10.5 µg/m³ is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.3 µg/m³, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 10.5 µg/m³ is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 12.8 µg/m³, 82% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More environment data for Portugal
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.6043 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.5127 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.44 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 2.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -3.29 % 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 0.1607 % 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 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
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.