Air pollution more deadly than smoking, says report
Scientists found dirty air kills 8.8m people worldwide each year

A new study claims that air pollution is now a bigger killer than smoking – causing up to 8.8m deaths a year worldwide. The figure is far higher than the previous estimate of 4.5m.
The researchers, from the Max Planck Institute in Germany, used new data and computer simulations to estimate the health impact of air pollution from sources such as traffic, industry, farming and electricity generation.
Focusing on levels of polluting fine particles, known as PM2.5, and ozone, they found that air pollution caused 64,000 deaths in the UK alone in 2015 - a rate of 98 per 100,000 of the population.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The i Newspaper points out that this “alarming” rate is nevertheless lower than for many other European countries. Germany had one of the highest death rates in Europe at 154 per 100,000 of the population.
Professor Thomas Münzel is calling on the European Union to cut the annual limit of tiny particulate matter in the air from 25 millionths of a gram per cubic metre to 10 - the level suggested by the World Health Organisation. He says his findings prove the need to move towards cleaner, renewable energy.
“Governments and international agencies must take urgent action to reduce air pollution,” said Professor Münzel. “They should re-evaluate legislation on air quality and lower the EU’s current [air pollution] limits.”
Comparing the pollution death rate with that from smoking, he said: “To put this into perspective… air pollution causes more extra deaths a year than tobacco smoking, which the World Health Organisation estimates was responsible for an extra 7.2m deaths in 2015. Smoking is avoidable but air pollution is not.”
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
A spokesman for the British Heart Foundation, told The Sun that the findings “provide further evidence that air pollution significantly increases the risk of premature death from heart and circulatory diseases” and that its impact “may be even greater than we previously thought”.
-
October 5 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include half-truth hucksters, Capitol lockdown, and more
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailout
Talking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?
Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Russia is ‘helping China’ prepare for an invasion of Taiwan
In the Spotlight Russia is reportedly allowing China access to military training
-
Interpol arrests hundreds in Africa-wide sextortion crackdown
IN THE SPOTLIGHT A series of stings disrupts major cybercrime operations as law enforcement estimates millions in losses from schemes designed to prey on lonely users
-
China is silently expanding its influence in American cities
Under the Radar New York City and San Francisco, among others, have reportedly been targeted
-
How China uses 'dark fleets' to circumvent trade sanctions
The Explainer The fleets are used to smuggle goods like oil and fish
-
One year after mass protests, why are Kenyans taking to the streets again?
today's big question More than 60 protesters died during demonstrations in 2024
-
What happens if tensions between India and Pakistan boil over?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION As the two nuclear-armed neighbors rattle their sabers in the wake of a terrorist attack on the contested Kashmir region, experts worry that the worst might be yet to come
-
Why Russia removed the Taliban's terrorist designation
The Explainer Russia had designated the Taliban as a terrorist group over 20 years ago
-
Inside the Israel-Turkey geopolitical dance across Syria
THE EXPLAINER As Syria struggles in the wake of the Assad regime's collapse, its neighbors are carefully coordinating to avoid potential military confrontations