Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 was 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
17.7 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
100th
of 200 countries
All-time high
20.77 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2000
All-time low
17.62 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2018
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Costa Rica, 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
Costa Rica recorded 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in 2023.
That represents a change of down 3.0% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Costa Rica peaked at 20.77 micrograms per cubic meter in 2000 and was at its lowest, 17.62 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2018.
That places Costa Rica 100th 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.
Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 20.1 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 19.94 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 20 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 20.07 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 20.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 19.74 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 20.27 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 20.34 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 20.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 20.47 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 20.77 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 20.09 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 20.49 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 20.72 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 19.03 micrograms per cubic meter | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 19.52 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 18.87 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 18.59 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 18.8 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 19.14 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 19.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 19.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.2% |
| 2012 | 18.56 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 19.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 18.36 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 19.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 18.26 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 18.35 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 17.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 17.84 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 17.97 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 18.05 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 18.24 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for high income countries, which is 10.06 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.8× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.2× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.15 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.74 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.47 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.6 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.59 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.64 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 19.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.99 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 18.24 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 97 Montenegro 18.45 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 98 Colombia 18.36 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 99 Liberia 17.92 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 101 Guyana 16.95 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 102 Belize 16.76 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 103 Eswatini 16.75 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2987 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.406 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0167 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3161 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 5.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0907 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Costa Rica?
- Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Costa Rica was 17.7 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 20.77 micrograms per cubic meter in 2000.
- What is the lowest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.62 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018.
- How does Costa Rica rank for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017?
- Costa Rica ranks 100th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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
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 meter (µg/m³).