Capital city in Bogotá Capital District, Colombia

Air quality in Bogotá

Updated October 2026Sources

16PM2.5 µg/m³, yearly

Polluted

The annual average PM2.5 in Bogotá was 16 µg/m³ in 2021, about 3.2 times the WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³. Traffic and dry season smog raise PM2.5 on some days; check IQAir. Occasional wildfire smoke in Jan–Mar.

Key facts

PM2.5: 16 µg/m³ yearly average (2021). Measured at Bogota.
PM10: 31.8 µg/m³ (2021).
Nitrogen dioxide: 28.5 µg/m³ (2021), mostly from traffic.
Worst months: Jan–Mar.
Recent average: 17.6 µg/m³ over the last five years of measurements.

PM2.5 by year

Year	Annual average
2021	16 µg/m³
2020	17 µg/m³
2019	19 µg/m³
2018	18 µg/m³
2017	18 µg/m³
2016	21 µg/m³
2015	19 µg/m³

Air quality across Colombia

Place	PM2.5	Level
Jardín	11.1 µg/m³	Moderate
Santa Marta	13 µg/m³	Moderate
Bogotá	16 µg/m³	Polluted
Barranquilla	17 µg/m³	Polluted
Medellín	20 µg/m³	Polluted
Cartagena	20.6 µg/m³	Polluted
Villa de Leyva	20.6 µg/m³	Polluted
Cali	23 µg/m³	Polluted
Pereira	47.7 µg/m³	Severely polluted

Quick answers

Is the air in Bogotá bad?

Polluted: 16 µg/m³ of PM2.5 on average, 3.2× the WHO guideline. It's usually worst in Jan–Mar.

When is the air worst in Bogotá?

Traffic and dry season smog raise PM2.5 on some days; check IQAir. Occasional wildfire smoke in Jan–Mar.

How does Bogotá compare with the rest of Colombia?

People in Colombia breathe 18 µg/m³ of PM2.5 on average (2023, World Bank/WHO), against 16 µg/m³ measured here.

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Sources

Annual averages are measured values reported to the WHO; check a live map for today's air. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.