Europe Matches Asian Giants In Air Pollution Deaths

Air pollution is a major problem across the world with China and India making headlines most frequently due to heavy smog. In 2013, polluted air led to 5.5 million premature deaths with China and India accounting for 1.6 and 1.4 million respectively. However, on a per capita basis, some European countries match those Asian countries in terms of deaths. China had 953.7 deaths per million inhabitants in 2013 while Hungary had 937.6 according to an OECD report. Air pollution is the fourth-highest risk factor for death worldwide, contributing to heart disease, strokes, lung cancer, bronchitis and other conditions.