Latest full year
Estimated23.5 µg/m³
−0.2 µg/m³ vs 2022 (23.7 µg/m³)
- Period
- 2023
- Source
- Source: World Bank
Environment statistics
Air Pollution in Thailand
People in Thailand were exposed to an average of 23.5 µg/m³ of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in 2023, according to World Bank estimates.
- Data through
- 2023
- Published
- Updated
- Source retrieved
Compiled by the ThailandStats editorial team from official sources · Checked · Report an error
Trend
Includes provisional or estimated values; the table shows each value’s status. Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
What the figures show
Average exposure was 38.2 µg/m³ in 1990. The highest annual average in the series was 38.2 µg/m³ in 1990 and the lowest 22.9 µg/m³ in 2017. The World Health Organization's air quality guideline for annual PM2.5 exposure is far lower than Thailand's average in every year of the series.
What the average does not show
This is a national, population-weighted annual average. It smooths out the seasonal smog of the dry season, when crop burning, forest fires and traffic push daily PM2.5 levels in Bangkok and the northern provinces far above the annual figure, and it hides large differences between places. For current readings, Thailand's Pollution Control Department publishes live data from its monitoring stations.
About this data
The estimate (World Bank indicator EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3) comes from the Global Burden of Disease study, which combines satellite observations, chemical transport models and ground monitors. It is modelled, can be revised, and is best used to follow the long-run trend.
Historical data
| Period | Μg/m³ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023Estimated | 23.5 µg/m³ | −1.0% |
| 2022Estimated | 23.7 µg/m³ | −0.4% |
| 2021Estimated | 23.8 µg/m³ | −5.4% |
| 2020Estimated | 25.2 µg/m³ | +5.1% |
| 2019Estimated | 24.0 µg/m³ | −2.2% |
| 2018Estimated | 24.5 µg/m³ | +7.1% |
| 2017Estimated | 22.9 µg/m³ | −11.6% |
| 2016Estimated | 25.9 µg/m³ | +9.6% |
| 2015Estimated | 23.6 µg/m³ | −8.1% |
| 2014Estimated | 25.7 µg/m³ | −5.7% |
| 2013Estimated | 27.2 µg/m³ | +8.1% |
| 2012Estimated | 25.2 µg/m³ | −6.8% |
| 2011Estimated | 27.0 µg/m³ | +4.8% |
| 2010Estimated | 25.8 µg/m³ | +0.9% |
| 2009Estimated | 25.6 µg/m³ | −3.9% |
| 2008Estimated | 26.6 µg/m³ | +0.4% |
| 2007Estimated | 26.5 µg/m³ | −8.7% |
| 2006Estimated | 29.0 µg/m³ | −14.7% |
| 2005Estimated | 34.0 µg/m³ | −2.8% |
| 2004Estimated | 35.0 µg/m³ | +7.5% |
| 2003Estimated | 32.6 µg/m³ | −4.4% |
| 2002Estimated | 34.1 µg/m³ | +3.3% |
| 2001Estimated | 33.0 µg/m³ | −2.8% |
| 2000Estimated | 33.9 µg/m³ | −0.0% |
| 1999Estimated | 33.9 µg/m³ | −1.3% |
| 1998Estimated | 34.4 µg/m³ | −1.2% |
| 1997Estimated | 34.8 µg/m³ | −1.2% |
| 1996Estimated | 35.2 µg/m³ | +1.2% |
| 1995Estimated | 34.8 µg/m³ | −3.5% |
| 1994Estimated | 36.1 µg/m³ | −1.2% |
| 1993Estimated | 36.5 µg/m³ | −1.2% |
| 1992Estimated | 37.0 µg/m³ | −1.2% |
| 1991Estimated | 37.4 µg/m³ | −2.2% |
| 1990Estimated | 38.2 µg/m³ | — |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators.
Methodology
EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3: Population-weighted exposure to ambient PM2.5 pollution is defined as the average level of exposure of a nation's population to concentrations of suspended particles measuring less than 2.5 microns in aerodynamic diameter, which are capable of penetrating deep into the respiratory tract and causing severe health damage. Exposure is calculated by weighting mean annual concentrations of PM2.5 by population in both urban and rural areas.
World Bank WDI figures are revised when the World Bank or the underlying national and UN sources revise them; the retrieval date is shown.
PM2.5 exposure is a population-weighted modelled estimate combining satellite data, chemical transport models and ground monitors; it is a national annual average and does not show seasonal peaks or local hotspots.
Sources
Latest source release: 13 July 2026. Retrieved by ThailandStats: 24 September 2026.
Air pollution exposure in Thailand (World Bank)
- Publisher
- World Bank(opens in a new tab)
- Source
- World Development Indicators
- Dataset
- World Development Indicators: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3)
- Last updated by publisher
- 13 July 2026
- Retrieved
- 24 September 2026
- Original dataset
- View original(opens in a new tab)
- Licence
- CC BY 4.0 (World Bank)
- ThailandStats dataset
- Air pollution exposure in Thailand (World Bank)
Source releases used (1)
- World Bank WDI EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3: PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure (micrograms per cubic meter)(opens in a new tab)Release as at 13 July 2026 · retrieved 24 September 2026 · SHA-256 e6782c3931d4…
Download the data
Cite this page
ThailandStats (2026). Air Pollution in Thailand. Updated 24 September 2026. https://thailandstats.com/environment/air-pollution
Please also cite the original publisher named under Sources.