100 million years lost

Over 100 million years of healthy life are lost every single year because of air pollution. Every 4 seconds seconds someone in the world dies from air pollution making it the world’s 4th most lethal killer. In 2019, estimates of deaths from air pollution were revised to double previous estimates.

Air pollution biggest environmental risk to human health 

The WHO concludes that air pollution represents the biggest environmental risk to health in the world. 103 million disability-adjusted life-years (or DALYs) are lost every year due to air pollution. DALY is a measure of the overall burden of disease. It combines the concepts of YLD (years lived with disability) and YLL (years of life lost due to early death). 103 million years lost represents 7.6 percent of global deaths and 4.2 percent of global DALYs.

Behind every single number is a person losing a full year of healthy living - either lost due to disease or from simply being dead. 

Air Pollution cuts of 20 months of your life

Current levels of air pollution levels reduce life expectancy by 1 year and 8 months on average worldwide. And in some places by much more. In the north of India, for example, the average life expectancy could be increased by more than eight years if air pollution levels were reduced to meet WHO standards. 

...nearly as deadly as tobacco

Air pollution is nearly as deadly as tobacco, which cut life expectancy by two months more: by one year and ten months. A major difference is that you can decide if you want to smoke or not. You have much less choice over the air you breathe on a daily basis. 

The world's 4th most lethal killer

Air pollution is responsible for nearly 5 percent of the global burden of disease. It is the world’s 4th most lethal killer after malnutrition, unsafe sex, and lack of safe water and sanitation.