Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 was 22.68 micrograms per cubic meter in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
22.68 micrograms per cubic meter
Change on year
down 5.6%
World rank
68th
of 200 countries
All-time high
34.1 micrograms per cubic meter
in 1990
All-time low
21.46 micrograms per cubic meter
in 2021
Years of data
34
1990–2023

Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Sri Lanka, 1990–2023

01020301990200620231990: 34.1 micrograms per cubic meter1991: 33.2 micrograms per cubic meter1992: 33.1 micrograms per cubic meter1993: 33 micrograms per cubic meter1994: 32.9 micrograms per cubic meter1995: 31.1 micrograms per cubic meter1996: 32.7 micrograms per cubic meter1997: 32.6 micrograms per cubic meter1998: 32.6 micrograms per cubic meter1999: 32.5 micrograms per cubic meter2000: 33.2 micrograms per cubic meter2001: 32.8 micrograms per cubic meter2002: 31.8 micrograms per cubic meter2003: 31.4 micrograms per cubic meter2004: 32.8 micrograms per cubic meter2005: 32.8 micrograms per cubic meter2006: 28.4 micrograms per cubic meter2007: 26.3 micrograms per cubic meter2008: 26.7 micrograms per cubic meter2009: 26.9 micrograms per cubic meter2010: 27.4 micrograms per cubic meter2011: 28.5 micrograms per cubic meter2012: 26.3 micrograms per cubic meter2013: 26.2 micrograms per cubic meter2014: 25 micrograms per cubic meter2015: 22.7 micrograms per cubic meter2016: 24.7 micrograms per cubic meter2017: 24.3 micrograms per cubic meter2018: 28.7 micrograms per cubic meter2019: 24 micrograms per cubic meter2020: 22.4 micrograms per cubic meter2021: 21.5 micrograms per cubic meter2022: 24 micrograms per cubic meter2023: 22.7 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

In 2023, particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Sri Lanka stood at 22.68 micrograms per cubic meter.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.6% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Sri Lanka peaked at 34.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990 and was at its lowest, 21.46 micrograms per cubic meter, in 2021.

Sri Lanka ranks 68th of 200 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 32.77 micrograms per cubic meter 31.11 micrograms per cubic meter 34.1 micrograms per cubic meter 10
2000s 30.32 micrograms per cubic meter 26.34 micrograms per cubic meter 33.23 micrograms per cubic meter 10
2010s 25.77 micrograms per cubic meter 22.68 micrograms per cubic meter 28.69 micrograms per cubic meter 10
2020s 22.65 micrograms per cubic meter 21.46 micrograms per cubic meter 24.03 micrograms per cubic meter 4

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 65 South Sudan 23.67 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  2. 66 Thailand 23.49 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  3. 67 Chile 23.1 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  4. 69 Sierra Leone 22.46 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  5. 70 Palestine 22.39 micrograms per cubic meter compare
  6. 71 Philippines 22.21 micrograms per cubic meter compare

See the full ranking of 200 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Sri Lanka?
Particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 in Sri Lanka was 22.68 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 Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 34.1 micrograms per cubic meter in 1990.
What is the lowest particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 21.46 micrograms per cubic meter in 2021.
How does Sri Lanka rank for particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017?
Sri Lanka ranks 68th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
Is particulate matter exposure in 1990 vs. 2017 rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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).