Global population exposed to air pollution by risk

An estimated 2.8 billion people are exposed to hazardous levels of air pollution worldwide, representing almost 40 percent of the global population. The countries with the largest share of their populations exposed to hazardous concentrations of air pollution are Bangladesh, Nepal, and India, at more than 96 percent. Overall, roughly 94 percent of the global population are exposed to air pollution levels considered unsafe by the World Health Organization.

Number of people exposed to different levels of air pollution risk worldwide as of 2022 (in millions)

Characteristic	Number of people exposed in millions
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Release date

June 2023

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Region

Worldwide

Survey time period

2022

Supplementary notes

Figures are in line with World Health Organization guidelines. “Hazardous” means air pollution concentrations over 35 μg/m3; “very high risk” means 25–35 μg/m3; “high risk” means 15–25 μg/m3; “moderate risk” means 10–15 μg/m3; “low risk” means 5–10 μg/m3; and “no risk” means under 5 μg/m3.
μg/m3 = micrograms per cubic meter.

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