Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Mexico
Mexico: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 was 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
16.61 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
105th
of 200 countries
All-time high
21.77 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
15.69 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2004
Years of data
34
1990–2023
Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Mexico, 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
Mexico recorded 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Mexico peaked at 21.77 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 15.69 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2004.
That places Mexico 105th 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 Mexico, year by year
| Year | micrograms per cubic meter | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 21.77 micrograms per cubic meter | — |
| 1991 | 21.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 21.62 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 21.52 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 21.43 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 21.42 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 21.23 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 21.14 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 21.04 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 20.94 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 20.8 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 16.96 micrograms per cubic meter | -18.4% |
| 2002 | 17.41 micrograms per cubic meter | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 17.7 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 15.69 micrograms per cubic meter | -11.3% |
| 2005 | 15.79 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 16.98 micrograms per cubic meter | +7.5% |
| 2007 | 17.55 micrograms per cubic meter | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 17.31 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 17.07 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 15.85 micrograms per cubic meter | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 17.96 micrograms per cubic meter | +13.3% |
| 2012 | 16.89 micrograms per cubic meter | -6.0% |
| 2013 | 17.57 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 15.93 micrograms per cubic meter | -9.3% |
| 2015 | 17 micrograms per cubic meter | +6.7% |
| 2016 | 16.53 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 16.83 micrograms per cubic meter | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 16.33 micrograms per cubic meter | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 17.08 micrograms per cubic meter | +4.6% |
| 2020 | 16.72 micrograms per cubic meter | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 16.82 micrograms per cubic meter | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 16.63 micrograms per cubic meter | -1.1% |
| 2023 | 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter | -0.1% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 18.51 micrograms per cubic meter, 90% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15.33 micrograms per cubic meter, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 21.38 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.94 micrograms per cubic meter | 21.77 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.33 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.69 micrograms per cubic meter | 20.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.8 micrograms per cubic meter | 15.85 micrograms per cubic meter | 17.96 micrograms per cubic meter | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.7 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.61 micrograms per cubic meter | 16.82 micrograms per cubic meter | 4 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
- 102 Belize 16.76 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 103 Eswatini 16.75 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 104 Malawi 16.72 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 106 Algeria 16.54 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 107 Poland 16.52 micrograms per cubic meter compare
- 108 Cyprus 16.07 micrograms per cubic meter compare
More reference data data for Mexico
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 16.66 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 32.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 32.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 13.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 84.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 157.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 9.55 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Mexico?
- Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Mexico was 16.61 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 21.77 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
- What is the lowest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.69 micrograms per cubic meter in 2004.
- How does Mexico rank for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017?
- Mexico ranks 105th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mexico 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).