Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in China
China: Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita was 31.99 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Exposure to PM2.5 air pollution vs. GDP per capita in China, 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
China recorded 31.99 micrograms per cubic meter for exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 38.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in China peaked at 52.73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2011 and was at its lowest, 31.9 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2022.
That places China 43rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.58 micrograms per cubic meter | 42.84 micrograms per cubic meter | 44.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 47.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 45.26 micrograms per cubic meter | 51.67 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.81 micrograms per cubic meter | 37.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 52.73 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.37 micrograms per cubic meter | 31.9 micrograms per cubic meter | 33.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 40 Jordan 32.63 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 41 Guinea-Bissau 32.29 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 42 Syria 32.06 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 44 Gabon 31.32 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 45 Turkmenistan 31.25 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 46 Uganda 31.21 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More economy & growth data for China
- External balance on goods and services as a percent of GDP 4.2% (2025)
- Inflation of consumer prices 0.1% (2025)
- GDP per capita 13,793 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- Share of manufacturing in gross domestic product (GDP) 24.7% (2025)
- Gross domestic product (GDP) 19.40 trillion constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- GDP per capita in international and market dollars 13,793 constant 2015 US$ (2025)
- DEC alternative conversion factor 7.19 LCU per US$ (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) 157.71 billion current LCU (2025)
- Net secondary income (Net current transfers from abroad) 21.94 billion current US$ (2025)
- Net primary income (Net income from abroad) -817.92 billion current LCU (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in China?
- Exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita in China was 31.99 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 52.73 micrograms per cubic meter in 2011.
- What is the lowest exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.9 micrograms per cubic meter in 2022.
- How does China rank for exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita?
- China ranks 43rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is exposure to pm2.5 air pollution vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.