Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in India
India: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 was 54.05 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▲ Rising
Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in India, 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
India recorded 54.05 micrograms per cubic meter for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in 2023.
That represents a change of up 6.7% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in India peaked at 56.68 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018 and was at its lowest, 48 micrograms per cubic meter, in 1995.
India ranks 11th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.91 micrograms per cubic meter | 48 micrograms per cubic meter | 51.2 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 50.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 49.25 micrograms per cubic meter | 52.52 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.5 micrograms per cubic meter | 51.44 micrograms per cubic meter | 56.68 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.13 micrograms per cubic meter | 50.66 micrograms per cubic meter | 55.62 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near India
- 8 United Arab Emirates 57.19 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 9 Bahrain 56.57 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 10 Cameroon 55.6 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 12 Nepal 53.2 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 13 Iraq 49.47 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 14 Oman 46.86 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More reference data data for India
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.8635 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.6189 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0088 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3046 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2053 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 233.06 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in India?
- Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in India was 54.05 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 56.68 micrograms per cubic meter in 2018.
- What is the lowest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 48 micrograms per cubic meter in 1995.
- How does India rank for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017?
- India ranks 11th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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 metre (µg/m³).