Six countries absorb three-quarters of the world's air pollution's impact.
Bangladesh, India, Pakistan,
China, Nigeria and Indonesia are the most affected countries. Their inhabitants "lose one to more than six years off their lives because of the air they breathe", explains the report.
New Delhi remains the world's most polluted megacity with fine particulate matter annual average rate topping 126.5 μg/m3. WHO recommends keeping air quality under 5 μg/m3.
China, on the other hand, is working on its air quality. It has lowered average pollution by 42.3% between 2013 and 2021. "The average Chinese citizen can expect to live 2.2 years longer, provided the reductions are sustained. H
owever, the pollution in China is still six times higher than the WHO guideline", says the EPIC report. euronews.com/green/2023/08/29/air-pollution-is-deadlier-than-smoking-new-study-finds
Concentrations of PM2.5 around the globe.
Air pollution is responsible for about 2 million deaths in China per year. Of those deaths, ambient air pollution alone caused more than 1 million deaths, while household air pollution from cooking with polluting fuels and technologies caused another million deaths in the same period in China.
Air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide every year. WHO data shows that 9 out of 10 people breathe air containing high levels of pollutants. WHO is working with countries to monitor air pollution and improve air quality.
www.who.int
What is the current air quality in Beijing?
Air pollution level | Air quality index | Main pollutant |
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Unhealthy | 197 US AQI | PM2.5 |
Beijing Air Quality Index (AQI) is now Unhealthy. Get real-time, historical and forecast PM2.5 and weather data. Read the air pollution in Beijing, China with AirVisual.
www.iqair.com