Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in Australia
Australia: Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita was 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
6.41 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 21.0%
World rank
181st
of 200 countries
All-time high
9.33 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2019
All-time low
5.29 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2010
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in Australia, 1990–2023
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
In 2023, exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Australia stood at 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter.
The figure is up 21.0% on the previous year and up 7.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Australia peaked at 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter in 2019 and was at its lowest, 5.29 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2010.
Australia ranks 181st of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in Australia, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.48 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 6.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 6.35 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 6.32 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 6.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 6.13 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.7% |
| 1996 | 6.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 6.22 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 6.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 6.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 6.21 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 6.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 6.39 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 6.49 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 5.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.6% |
| 2005 | 5.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 5.97 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 6.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 6.94 micrograms per cubic meter | +14.7% |
| 2010 | 5.29 micrograms per cubic meter | -23.7% |
| 2011 | 5.44 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 5.4 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 5.97 micrograms per cubic meter | +10.6% |
| 2014 | 6.04 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 5.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 5.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 5.82 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 6.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter | +54.1% |
| 2020 | 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter | -27.0% |
| 2021 | 5.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -19.5% |
| 2022 | 5.3 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2023 | 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +21.0% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 64% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Australia's 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9.77 micrograms per cubic meter, 66% of the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in Australia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | +54.1% | 6.05 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter |
| 2020 | -27.0% | 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.48 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.18 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.72 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.11 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.29 micrograms per cubic meter | 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 micrograms per cubic meter | 5.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 6.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 178 United States Virgin Islands 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 179 Canada 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 180 Fiji 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 182 Estonia 5.92 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 183 Norway 5.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 184 Bahamas 5.28 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More economy & growth data for Australia
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.36 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.26 Percent per annum (2029)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), gaps -4.55 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per unit -0.0025 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net outflows (BoP, current US$), per capita -164.69 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), gaps filled 36.52 billion BoP, current US$ (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), annual -32.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per unit 0.0203 BoP, current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$), per capita 1,323 BoP, current US$ per person (2025)
- Total reserves (includes gold, current US$), annual growth rate 20.24 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Australia?
- Exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in Australia was 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 9.33 micrograms per cubic meter in 2019.
- What is the lowest exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.29 micrograms per cubic meter in 2010.
- How does Australia rank for exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita?
- Australia ranks 181st out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.