PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim in China
China: PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim was 97.2% in 2017. ▬ Flat
PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim in China, 1990–2017
Source: Brauer, M. et al. 2017, for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017. Measured in % of total.
Analysis
China recorded 97.2% for pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim in China peaked at 99.2% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 97.2%, in 2017.
That places China 56th out of 194 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim in China, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 98.8% | — |
| 1995 | 98.8% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 98.9% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 99.0% | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 99.2% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 98.8% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 98.7% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 98.2% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 98.0% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 97.2% | -0.8% |
| 2017 | 97.2% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 98.8% | 98.8% | 98.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 98.9% | 98.9% | 98.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 98.3% | 97.2% | 99.2% | 8 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.279 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.92 °C (2025)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import -15.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import 0.0001 t per person (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -1.05 Percentage change (2024)
- Exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -2.6 Percentage change (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import value -8.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other paper and paperboard, not elsewhere specified — Import value 0.0001 1000 USD per person (2024)
- Total fibre furnish — Production, annual growth rate 4.94 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim in China?
- Pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim in China was 97.2% in 2017, according to Brauer, M. et al. 2017, for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017.
- What is the highest pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 99.2% in 2011.
- What is the lowest pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.2% in 2017.
- How does China rank for pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim?
- China ranks 56th out of 194 countries with data for 2017.
- Is pm2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding who interim rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Brauer, M. et al. 2017, for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, published as part of PM2.5 pollution, population exposed to levels exceeding WHO Interim Target-2 value (% of total). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Percent of population exposed to ambient concentrations of PM2.5 that exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) Interim Target 2 (IT-2) is defined as the portion of a country’s population living in places where mean annual concentrations of PM2.5 are greater than 25 micrograms per cubic meter. The Air Quality Guideline (AQG) of 10 micrograms per cubic meter is recommended by the WHO as the lower end of the range of concentrations over which adverse health effects due to PM2.5 exposure have been observed.