Air pollution kills 7 million people every year, says WHO report
China Photos/Getty Images

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Around 7 million people worldwide are going to die from air pollution this year — thus making it the environment's single biggest health risk, declares a new report from the World Health Organization. That means dirty air is the cause of one in eight deaths globally.
The new estimates are double previous figures, largely due to new detection methods and better information on pollution's health effects. The report also says that women in developing countries are more at risk of exposure to dirty air than men, as a lot of women in Asian countries endure indoor pollution caused by their use of wood and coal stoves. Of the 3.7 million people who died from outdoor pollution, 90 percent were in developing countries.
Read the rest of the report at The Guardian.
Subscribe to 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.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
-
Biden creates White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention
Speed Read The office will be led by Vice President Kamala Harris
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Chairman Jordan
Cartoons
By The Week Staff Published
-
10 things you need to know today: September 23, 2023
Daily Briefing Sen. Bob Menendez rejects calls to resign following indictment, Ukraine launches missile attack on occupied Crimean city, and more
By Justin Klawans Published
-
LA County reportedly set to pay $2.5 million in settlements over Kobe Bryant crash photos
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published
-
The horrific scene at Kabul's airport, in 14 photos and videos
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
Report: Matt Gaetz's former wingman has given investigators thousands of photos, videos, and texts
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
FBI used 'provocative' photos of female staffers as bait in sex trafficking stings, report finds
Speed Read
By Brigid Kennedy Published
-
Before Florida condo collapse, contractor took photos of damage in building's garage
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Gun-toting protesters' dramatic stand inside Michigan's statehouse, in 5 photos and videos
Speed Read
By Kathryn Krawczyk Published
-
L.A. County sheriff ordered 8 deputies to delete graphic photos of Kobe Bryant crash
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Vanessa Bryant 'absolutely devastated' by report deputies shared photos of Kobe Bryant crash
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Last updated