Air Quality Life Index 2024

We’re pleased to bring you the latest data from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI). This data shows that fine particulate air pollution remains the greatest external threat to public health. But pollution is also unequally distributed amongst the world, with those breathing the dirtiest air (top quintile) expected to see almost 3 years cut from their lives if high pollution persists compared to those breathing the cleanest air (bottom quintile).

In this year’s report we build off a theme from last year: that pollution is unequal because the basic tools and infrastructure countries have to fight pollution is unequal. The missing tools we highlighted last year focused on funding availability, monitoring and open data access. To help confront this global challenge, this year we launched a new initiative—the EPIC Air Quality Fund—to support local groups and organizations in installing monitors and providing open data to communities that could benefit the most. Providing this data allows citizens to understand the depth of the pollution problem where they live and call for change.

Open access to data also provides a necessary guidepost for setting and evaluating air quality standards—the theme of this year’s report. Our report shows that if countries adopt ambitious standards and implement policies to achieve them, global life expectancy would significantly improve. These standards—some strong and some weak—reflect the multiple policy goals countries have as they balance economic, environmental, and health goals. However, more than three-quarters of countries and territories around the world are not meeting their national pollution standards or have not even set a standard.

While the AQLI Annual Report highlights where standards have not been met, and policies are failing, it’s important to also highlight the success stories that can aid other parts of the world. Throughout history countries like the United States, Europe, Japan, and, most recently, China have been able to significantly reduce air pollution thanks to strong policies (policies that came only after a persistent, public call for change). China, for example, now meets its national standard and residents are living two years longer because of the policy changes that have significantly reduced pollution since the country declared a war against it in 2014. Building on this success, China is now aiming for a further 10 percent reduction in particulate concentrations across its prefectures by 2025, compared to 2020 levels.

India’s national standard is similar to China’s, but only 60 percent of the population breathes air that meets this standard. Fortunately, India is responding by implementing innovative policies. In 2019, the state of Gujarat—in collaboration with Greenstone and colleagues—launched the world’s first market for particulate pollution. The market has since reduced pollution by 20-30 percent in the city of Surat, and is rapidly expanding to other cities and states. These types of innovative policies demonstrate that it is possible to achieve improvements in air quality and people’s health, without unduly impeding economic growth (in this case, it increased economic growth).

EPIC will continue to bring data about the pollution people breathe to communities who would benefit the most through our Air Quality Fund, effectively communicate how this pollution impacts their health through the AQLI, and work with governments on the ground to devise and test policies that reduce this pollution at the least cost. This multi-pronged strategy aims to not just expose the problem—that widespread pollution is causing the average person on the planet to lose 1.9 years off their life—but to also help solve it.