PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Brazil
Brazil: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure was 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Brazil, 1990–2023
Source: Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network. Measured in micrograms per cubic meter.
Analysis
Brazil recorded 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in 2023.
The figure is down 10.5% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Brazil peaked at 27.35 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003 and was at its lowest, 13.16 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2014.
That places Brazil 133rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.
PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Brazil, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 27.07 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 27.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.1% |
| 1992 | 26.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 26.88 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 26.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 26.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 26.64 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 26.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 26.48 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 26.39 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 26.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 26.4 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 25.94 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 27.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 26.12 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 25.91 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -27.2% |
| 2007 | 15.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.5% |
| 2008 | 15.46 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 15.28 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 15.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 15.01 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 13.64 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.2% |
| 2013 | 13.19 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 13.16 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 14.11 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.2% |
| 2016 | 13.49 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.4% |
| 2017 | 13.61 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 13.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 13.81 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 13.67 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 13.69 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 14.95 micrograms per cubic meter | +9.2% |
| 2023 | 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter | -10.5% |
Brazil compared with similar countries
- Brazil's 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.51 micrograms per cubic meter, 72% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Brazil's 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 87% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Brazil 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -27.2% | 25.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 26.39 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.07 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 22.3 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.28 micrograms per cubic meter | 27.35 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.16 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.92 micrograms per cubic meter | 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 14.95 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
- 130 Slovakia 13.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 131 Hungary 13.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 132 Dominican Republic 13.51 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 134 Botswana 13.24 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 135 Latvia 13.01 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 136 Czechia 12.75 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More urban development data for Brazil
- Population in the largest city 12.3% (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.4432 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 94.31 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.8742 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 11.08 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 22.99 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 50.9 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 2,036 Hectares (2020)
- Population density 25.26 people per sq. km of land area (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Brazil?
- Pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure in Brazil was 13.38 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023, according to Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network.
- What is the highest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 27.35 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003.
- What is the lowest pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.16 micrograms per cubic meter in 2014.
- How does Brazil rank for pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure?
- Brazil ranks 133rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is pm2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from Global Burden of Disease Study 2023 (GBD 2023) Air Pollution Exposure Estimates and Risk Curves 1990-2023, GBD Collaborator Network, published as part of PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 34 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population-weighted exposure to ambient PM2.5 pollution is defined as the average level of exposure of a nation's population to concentrations of suspended particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter, which are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and causing severe health damage. Exposure is calculated by weighting mean annual concentrations of PM2.5 by population in both urban and rural areas.