Countries in South America by air pollution (pm2.5)
The average concentration of fine particles (PM2.5) in the air people breathe over a year, in micrograms per cubic metre. The WHO’s guideline is 5. 12 countries in South America, highest first. World Bank, 2023
Median country
17.6
half above, half below| # | Country | µg/m³ | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Peru | 31.1 | South America |
| 2 |  Bolivia | 28.1 | South America |
| 3 |  Chile | 23.1 | South America |
| 4 |  Venezuela | 19.2 | South America |
| 5 |  Ecuador | 18.6 | South America |
| 6 |  Colombia | 18.4 | South America |
| 7 |  Guyana | 16.9 | South America |
| 8 |  Suriname | 15.7 | South America |
| 9 |  Paraguay | 15.3 | South America |
| 10 |  Argentina | 14.3 | South America |
| 11 |  Brazil | 13.4 | South America |
| 12 |  Uruguay | 10.9 | South America |
Questions
- Which country in South America has the most polluted air?
- Peru has the most polluted air in South America: 31.1 µg/m³ (2023). Next come Bolivia (28.1 µg/m³) and Chile (23.1 µg/m³).
- Which country in South America has the cleanest air?
- Uruguay, with 10.9 µg/m³ (2023).
- What is the typical air pollution (pm2.5) of a country in South America?
- The median of the 12 countries in South America is 17.6 µg/m³: half are above it, half below. The median, not the average, because a few countries at the top would drag an average far above almost everyone.
- Where do the figures come from?
- The average concentration of fine particles (PM2.5) in the air people breathe over a year, in micrograms per cubic metre. The WHO’s guideline is 5. Source: World Bank, 2023. Only independent states are ranked; territories are listed separately. A country’s continent follows Natural Earth; the handful of island states it files under the open ocean are placed by their UN subregion.
Source: World Bank (CC BY 4.0). Figures more than 5 years older than the newest are left out rather than shown beside current ones. Countries sharing a value share a rank. All sources.