Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 7.3 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Puerto Rico, 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 Puerto Rico is 7.3 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Puerto Rico peaked at 8.3 µg/m³ in 2017 and was at its lowest, 5.7 µg/m³, in 2011.
Puerto Rico ranks 192nd 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.5 µg/m³ | 6.9 µg/m³ | 8.1 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 6.85 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ | 7.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.98 µg/m³ | 5.7 µg/m³ | 8.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.4 µg/m³ | 6.6 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Puerto Rico
- 189 United States 7.5 µg/m³ compare
- 190 Guernsey 7.4 µg/m³ compare
- 190 Ireland 7.4 µg/m³ compare
- 193 Canada 7 µg/m³ compare
- 193 New Zealand 7 µg/m³ compare
- 193 Solomon Islands 7 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Puerto Rico
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 17.62 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 5.5 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 0.46 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.0026 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 0.0017 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.0001 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 1.55 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.0075 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.0093 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 1.06 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Puerto Rico?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Puerto Rico was 7.3 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 Puerto Rico?
- The highest recorded value was 8.3 µg/m³ in 2017.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Puerto Rico?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.7 µg/m³ in 2011.
- How does Puerto Rico rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Puerto Rico ranks 192nd out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Puerto Rico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Puerto Rico 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.