Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Canada

Canada: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 was 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
6.55 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
179th
of 200 countries
All-time high
9.45 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1991
All-time low
6.03 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2020
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Canada, 1990–2023

02468101990200620231990: 9.4 micrograms per cubic meter1991: 9.5 micrograms per cubic meter1992: 9.4 micrograms per cubic meter1993: 9.3 micrograms per cubic meter1994: 9.3 micrograms per cubic meter1995: 9.4 micrograms per cubic meter1996: 9.2 micrograms per cubic meter1997: 9.1 micrograms per cubic meter1998: 9 micrograms per cubic meter1999: 9 micrograms per cubic meter2000: 8.8 micrograms per cubic meter2001: 9 micrograms per cubic meter2002: 8.7 micrograms per cubic meter2003: 8.9 micrograms per cubic meter2004: 8.1 micrograms per cubic meter2005: 8.6 micrograms per cubic meter2006: 8.2 micrograms per cubic meter2007: 8 micrograms per cubic meter2008: 7.7 micrograms per cubic meter2009: 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter2010: 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter2011: 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter2012: 6.9 micrograms per cubic meter2013: 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter2014: 7.5 micrograms per cubic meter2015: 7.4 micrograms per cubic meter2016: 6.2 micrograms per cubic meter2017: 6.9 micrograms per cubic meter2018: 7.1 micrograms per cubic meter2019: 6.4 micrograms per cubic meter2020: 6 micrograms per cubic meter2021: 7.8 micrograms per cubic meter2022: 6.4 micrograms per cubic meter2023: 6.6 micrograms per cubic meter

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

The most recent figure for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Canada is 6.55 micrograms per cubic meter, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Canada peaked at 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991 and was at its lowest, 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2020.

Canada ranks 179th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.25 micrograms per cubic meter 8.98 micrograms per cubic meter 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter 10
2000s 8.33 micrograms per cubic meter 7.37 micrograms per cubic meter 8.95 micrograms per cubic meter 10
2010s 7.01 micrograms per cubic meter 6.17 micrograms per cubic meter 7.46 micrograms per cubic meter 10
2020s 6.7 micrograms per cubic meter 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter 7.84 micrograms per cubic meter 4

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 176 United States 6.97 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  2. 177 New Zealand 6.88 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  3. 178 United States Virgin Islands 6.79 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  4. 180 Fiji 6.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  5. 181 Australia 6.41 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  6. 182 Estonia 5.92 micrograms per cubic meter compare

See the full ranking of 200 places →

More reference data data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Canada?
Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Canada was 6.55 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 particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 9.45 micrograms per cubic meter in 1991.
What is the lowest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 6.03 micrograms per cubic meter in 2020.
How does Canada rank for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017?
Canada ranks 179th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
Is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Canada 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 Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017. 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

Indicator
Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017
Unit
micrograms per cubic meter
Source
Global Burden of Disease Study 2023, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
200 places, 6,800 data points, 1990–2023
Last refreshed

Population-weighted average level of exposure to concentrations of suspended particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in diameter. Exposure is measured in micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³).