Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Taiwan
Taiwan: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 16.6 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Taiwan, 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
Taiwan recorded 16.6 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.6% on the previous year and down 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Taiwan peaked at 25.7 µg/m³ in 2010 and was at its lowest, 15.6 µg/m³, in 1999.
That places Taiwan 107th out of 241 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Taiwan, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 16.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 15.6 µg/m³ | -4.9% |
| 2000 | 20.5 µg/m³ | +31.4% |
| 2001 | 20.7 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 20.3 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
| 2003 | 20.5 µg/m³ | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 22.3 µg/m³ | +8.8% |
| 2005 | 22.6 µg/m³ | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 23.2 µg/m³ | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 23.3 µg/m³ | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 21.9 µg/m³ | -6.0% |
| 2009 | 22 µg/m³ | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 25.7 µg/m³ | +16.8% |
| 2011 | 20.8 µg/m³ | -19.1% |
| 2012 | 20 µg/m³ | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 19.6 µg/m³ | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 24 µg/m³ | +22.4% |
| 2015 | 20.7 µg/m³ | -13.8% |
| 2016 | 19.6 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 21.2 µg/m³ | +8.2% |
| 2018 | 18.9 µg/m³ | -10.8% |
| 2019 | 17.7 µg/m³ | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 15.9 µg/m³ | -10.2% |
| 2021 | 17.4 µg/m³ | +9.4% |
| 2022 | 19 µg/m³ | +9.2% |
| 2023 | 20.4 µg/m³ | +7.4% |
| 2024 | 16.6 µg/m³ | -18.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16 µg/m³ | 15.6 µg/m³ | 16.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 21.73 µg/m³ | 20.3 µg/m³ | 23.3 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.82 µg/m³ | 17.7 µg/m³ | 25.7 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.86 µg/m³ | 15.9 µg/m³ | 20.4 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan
More environment data for Taiwan
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 0.5363 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.4698 Percentage change (2025)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.56 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.47 Percentage change (2024)
- Land use hidden — Total area 35,960 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Other areas 27,620 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Cropland 7,790 Square kilometres (2023)
- Land use hidden — Land area 35,410 Square kilometres (2023)
- Emissions of air pollutants 368,369 tonnes (2022)
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources 15.01 micrograms per cubic meter (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Taiwan?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Taiwan was 16.6 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 Taiwan?
- The highest recorded value was 25.7 µg/m³ in 2010.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Taiwan?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.6 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Taiwan rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Taiwan ranks 107th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Taiwan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Taiwan 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.