Air pollution worldwide - statistics & facts
Linked with a multitude of adverse health effects and responsible for millions of premature deaths each year, air pollution is a major threat to humans. Now a bigger killer than smoking, air pollution – the combination of outdoor and indoor particulate matter and ozone – is the second largest risk factor of deaths worldwide, and the cause of 2,000 children under the age of five dying every day. And with most people on earth exposed to unhealthy air quality, many more lives are likely to be cut short unless urgent action is taken.
The world’s most polluted country in 2023 was Bangladesh, with average PM2.5 concentrations roughly three times above the global average, and 16 times above World Health Organization guidelines of five micrograms per cubic meter of air (μg/m³). Neighboring Pakistan and India followed, with average PM2.5 levels of 74 and 54 μg/m³, respectively. In comparison, PM2.5 levels in the U.S. typically average around eight μg/m³ each year.
Where does air pollution come from?
A variety of sources contribute to air pollution, but the most common are produced from human activities – specifically from fossil fuel combustion. These activities include, but are not limited to, transportation, power generation, industrial processes, and residential heating. Other human caused air pollution include mining, agricultural processes, and burning waste. There are also naturally occurring sources of air pollution, such as dust storms, volcanoes, and wildfires, the latter of which are of growing concern due to increased events in the face of rising temperatures. Together, these sources are responsible for emitting large volumes of toxic air pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and the deadliest of them all, fine particulate matter (PM2.5).Developing regions suffer from the worst air quality
While poor air quality affects people in all corners of the globe, it is those in developing regions that are typically exposed to the most hazardous pollution levels. This is due to various factors that no longer, such as unregulated and rapid economic growth and industrialization (often powered by coal), as well as inefficient cooking and heating practices in households.The world’s most polluted country in 2023 was Bangladesh, with average PM2.5 concentrations roughly three times above the global average, and 16 times above World Health Organization guidelines of five micrograms per cubic meter of air (μg/m³). Neighboring Pakistan and India followed, with average PM2.5 levels of 74 and 54 μg/m³, respectively. In comparison, PM2.5 levels in the U.S. typically average around eight μg/m³ each year.
