Air pollution
Air pollution affects millions of people worldwide, stemming from diverse sources. Both household and outdoor air pollution pose severe threats related to cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, cancers, and other conditions.
Photo by Reuters/Sergei Karpukhin.
8%
of total disease burden in 2023 was caused by particulate matter (PM) air pollution (Level 3), making it the second-leading contributor among risk factors.
39%
of health loss from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is attributable to PM air pollution.
32%
of preterm births in 2023 were attributed to exposure to PM air pollution.
32%
of deaths due to PM air pollution occurred in South Asia in 2023.
Input sources and estimates
Find all data sources and estimates related to air pollution in our data catalogue, the Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx).
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