Who Breathes The Dirtiest Air? Global Report Flags Alarming Numbers

The latest State of Global Air report paints a grim picture of the world's worsening air quality, warning that pollution has become the planet's second leading cause of premature death, behind only high blood pressure. The report, released by the Boston-based Health Effects Institute (HEI) in collaboration with the University of Washington's School of Medicine and the Geneva-based NCD Alliance, highlights a disturbing rise in pollution-related diseases, including a strong and growing link between dirty air and dementia.

According to the report, air pollution was responsible for 7.9 million deaths in 2023, accounting for roughly one in eight deaths globally. Of these, 4.9 million deaths were linked to exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5), 2.8 million were attributed to household air pollution, and nearly 470,000 were caused by ozone exposure.

India and China Top Global Death Count

The findings show that India and China each recorded more than two million deaths from air pollution in 2023, together accounting for more than half of the global total. The report notes that 90 per cent of all air pollution-related deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, with South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Southeast Asia bearing the heaviest burden.

Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nigeria each recorded over 200,000 deaths, while Indonesia, Myanmar, and Egypt surpassed 100,000.

"The impacts of these pollution spikes linger long after the air has cleared," the report warns. "The human toll is striking: In 2023 alone, 7.9 million deaths and 232 million healthy years of life were lost worldwide due to air pollution."

Dementia, Heart Disease, and Diabetes Linked to Dirty Air

The report draws a connection between air pollution and neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia. It estimates that 626,000 deaths and 11.6 million healthy years of life lost in 2023 were linked to dementia caused by polluted air.

The data shows that air pollution contributes to a wide spectrum of non-communicable diseases (NCDs):

1 in 2 deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) were caused by air pollution.

1 in 4 heart disease deaths were linked to air pollution exposure.

More than 1 in 4 dementia deaths were tied to pollution.

Nearly 1 in 6 diabetes deaths were attributable to poor air quality.

Overall, 95 per cent of deaths from air pollution occurred among adults aged over 60, and 6.8 million of the total deaths were from non-communicable diseases.

Who Breathes The Dirtiest Air

About 36 per cent of the world's population is exposed to PM2.5 levels above the least stringent World Health Organization interim target of 35 micrograms per cubic metre.

Even more concerning, 11 per cent of the global population lives in regions where no national air quality standards exist at all.

In India and across much of South Asia, the report attributes the worsening trend to a combination of vehicle emissions, agricultural burning, coal-fired power generation, and urban construction dust. In parts of Africa and Latin America, natural phenomena like dust storms and wildfires add to the strain.