Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Tuvalu
Tuvalu: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 4.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Tuvalu, 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 Tuvalu is 4.5 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 8.2% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Tuvalu peaked at 5.5 µg/m³ in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3 µg/m³, in 1999.
Tuvalu ranks 217th 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.
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Tuvalu, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3.5 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 3 µg/m³ | -14.3% |
| 2000 | 3.1 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 3.6 µg/m³ | +16.1% |
| 2002 | 4.2 µg/m³ | +16.7% |
| 2003 | 4.1 µg/m³ | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 4 µg/m³ | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 4.3 µg/m³ | +7.5% |
| 2006 | 4.2 µg/m³ | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 4.6 µg/m³ | +9.5% |
| 2008 | 3.8 µg/m³ | -17.4% |
| 2009 | 4.4 µg/m³ | +15.8% |
| 2010 | 4.5 µg/m³ | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 3.8 µg/m³ | -15.6% |
| 2012 | 3.8 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4.5 µg/m³ | +18.4% |
| 2014 | 4.9 µg/m³ | +8.9% |
| 2015 | 5.5 µg/m³ | +12.2% |
| 2016 | 5 µg/m³ | -9.1% |
| 2017 | 4.5 µg/m³ | -10.0% |
| 2018 | 5.1 µg/m³ | +13.3% |
| 2019 | 5.1 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 4.5 µg/m³ | -11.8% |
| 2021 | 3.7 µg/m³ | -17.8% |
| 2022 | 4.4 µg/m³ | +18.9% |
| 2023 | 4.9 µg/m³ | +11.4% |
| 2024 | 4.5 µg/m³ | -8.2% |
Tuvalu compared with similar countries
- Tuvalu's 4.5 µg/m³ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 17.15 µg/m³, 26% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Tuvalu's 4.5 µg/m³ is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 51% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.25 µg/m³ | 3 µg/m³ | 3.5 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.03 µg/m³ | 3.1 µg/m³ | 4.6 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.67 µg/m³ | 3.8 µg/m³ | 5.5 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4 µg/m³ | 3.7 µg/m³ | 4.9 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Tuvalu
- 214 Reunion 5 µg/m³ compare
- 215 New Caledonia 4.9 µg/m³ compare
- 216 Iceland 4.6 µg/m³ compare
- 218 Aland Islands 4.3 µg/m³ compare
- 219 Saint Helena 4.1 µg/m³ compare
- 219 Samoa 4.1 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Tuvalu
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Temperature change 0.836 °C (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.202 °C (2025)
- Roundwood — Export value 0 1000 USD (2024)
- Primary wood and paper products (export/import) — Import value 945 1000 USD (2024)
- Primary wood and paper products (export/import) — Export value 2 1000 USD (2024)
- Roundwood — Import quantity 11,137 m3 (2024)
- Roundwood — Import value 58 1000 USD (2024)
- Roundwood — Export quantity 0 m3 (2024)
- Sawnwood — Import quantity 19,913 m3 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Tuvalu?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Tuvalu was 4.5 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 Tuvalu?
- The highest recorded value was 5.5 µg/m³ in 2015.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Tuvalu?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Tuvalu rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Tuvalu ranks 217th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Tuvalu?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tuvalu 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.