Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vatican
Vatican: Exposure to outdoor air pollution was 13.5 µg/m³ in 2024. ▼ Falling
Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vatican, 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
Vatican recorded 13.5 µg/m³ for exposure to outdoor air pollution in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is down 6.2% on the previous year and down 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vatican peaked at 22.4 µg/m³ in 2006 and was at its lowest, 13.5 µg/m³, in 2024.
Vatican ranks 130th 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 Vatican, year by year
| Year | µg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 20.2 µg/m³ | — |
| 1999 | 20.6 µg/m³ | +2.0% |
| 2000 | 21 µg/m³ | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 18.6 µg/m³ | -11.4% |
| 2002 | 20.1 µg/m³ | +8.1% |
| 2003 | 21 µg/m³ | +4.5% |
| 2004 | 18.6 µg/m³ | -11.4% |
| 2005 | 18.9 µg/m³ | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 22.4 µg/m³ | +18.5% |
| 2007 | 22.1 µg/m³ | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 20.1 µg/m³ | -9.0% |
| 2009 | 19.7 µg/m³ | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 18.5 µg/m³ | -6.1% |
| 2011 | 21.2 µg/m³ | +14.6% |
| 2012 | 19.5 µg/m³ | -8.0% |
| 2013 | 17.6 µg/m³ | -9.7% |
| 2014 | 16.5 µg/m³ | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 18.5 µg/m³ | +12.1% |
| 2016 | 16.1 µg/m³ | -13.0% |
| 2017 | 16.1 µg/m³ | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 15.1 µg/m³ | -6.2% |
| 2019 | 14.3 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 15.7 µg/m³ | +9.8% |
| 2021 | 14 µg/m³ | -10.8% |
| 2022 | 15.2 µg/m³ | +8.6% |
| 2023 | 14.4 µg/m³ | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 13.5 µg/m³ | -6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.4 µg/m³ | 20.2 µg/m³ | 20.6 µg/m³ | 2 |
| 2000s | 20.25 µg/m³ | 18.6 µg/m³ | 22.4 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.34 µg/m³ | 14.3 µg/m³ | 21.2 µg/m³ | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.56 µg/m³ | 13.5 µg/m³ | 15.7 µg/m³ | 5 |
Countries ranked near Vatican
More environment data for Vatican
- Forest area 0 hectares (2025)
- Share of global forest area 0.0% (2025)
- Annual change in forest area 0 hectares (2025)
- Change in domestic forest area vs. deforestation embedded in imported goods 0 hectares (2025)
- Exposure to air pollution from human sources 10.88 micrograms per cubic meter (2024)
- Consumption of ozone-depleting substances 0 ODP tonnes (2021)
- Emissions of ozone-depleting substances 0 ODP tonnes (2021)
- Forest certified for sustainable use 0 thousands of hectares (2024)
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in urban areas 14.17 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Above-ground forest biomass 0 tonnes per hectare (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vatican?
- Exposure to outdoor air pollution in Vatican was 13.5 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 Vatican?
- The highest recorded value was 22.4 µg/m³ in 2006.
- What is the lowest exposure to outdoor air pollution recorded in Vatican?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.5 µg/m³ in 2024.
- How does Vatican rank for exposure to outdoor air pollution?
- Vatican ranks 130th out of 241 countries with data for 2024.
- Is exposure to outdoor air pollution rising or falling in Vatican?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vatican 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.