Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 5.8 µg/m³ in 2024. ▲ Rising
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vanuatu, 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 Vanuatu is 5.8 µg/m³, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 12.1% on the previous year and down 18.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vanuatu peaked at 8 µg/m³ in 2017 and was at its lowest, 4.3 µg/m³, in 1999.
Vanuatu ranks 206th 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 Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 4.4 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 4.3 µg/m³ | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 5.8 µg/m³ | +34.9% |
| 2001 | 5.9 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 6 µg/m³ | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 5.7 µg/m³ | -5.0% |
| 2004 | 5.9 µg/m³ | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 5.4 µg/m³ | -8.5% |
| 2006 | 5.3 µg/m³ | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 5.9 µg/m³ | +11.3% |
| 2008 | 6.1 µg/m³ | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 5.3 µg/m³ | -13.1% |
| 2010 | 6.5 µg/m³ | +22.6% |
| 2011 | 6.6 µg/m³ | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 6 µg/m³ | -9.1% |
| 2013 | 6.9 µg/m³ | +15.0% |
| 2014 | 7.1 µg/m³ | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 7.2 µg/m³ | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 7.2 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 8 µg/m³ | +11.1% |
| 2018 | 7.6 µg/m³ | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 6.5 µg/m³ | -14.5% |
| 2020 | 5.3 µg/m³ | -18.5% |
| 2021 | 4.9 µg/m³ | -7.5% |
| 2022 | 6.1 µg/m³ | +24.5% |
| 2023 | 6.6 µg/m³ | +8.2% |
| 2024 | 5.8 µg/m³ | -12.1% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 5.8 µg/m³ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.7 µg/m³, 23% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 5.8 µg/m³ is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.9 µg/m³, 65% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.35 µg/m³ | 4.3 µg/m³ | 4.4 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 5.73 µg/m³ | 5.3 µg/m³ | 6.1 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.96 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.74 µg/m³ | 4.9 µg/m³ | 6.6 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 203 Isle of Man 6.5 µg/m³ compare
- 204 Anguilla 6.1 µg/m³ compare
- 204 United States Virgin Islands 6.1 µg/m³ compare
- 207 British Virgin Islands 5.7 µg/m³ compare
- 207 Fiji 5.7 µg/m³ compare
- 207 Sweden 5.7 µg/m³ compare
More environment data for Vanuatu
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.46 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.225 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.02 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.53 % 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 -2.35 % 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 Vanuatu?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vanuatu was 5.8 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 8 µg/m³ in 2017.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3 µg/m³ in 1999.
- How does Vanuatu rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Vanuatu ranks 206th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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.