Air pollution is a leading risk factor for deaths and disability around the world; in 2019 alone, exposure to air pollution was linked to 6.7 million deaths. Despite all that is known about the effects of air pollution on health, many regions of the world still face challenges in improving their air quality. One resource to help put global air quality into perspective is a comparison of the national ambient air quality levels with health-based Air Quality Guidelines (AQGs) established by the World Health Organization (WHO).
This State of Global Air Special Analysis compares how countries fare with respect to the updated AQGs and the associated interim targets released by the WHO in September 2021, using data for long-term average ambient fine particulate matter (i.e., PM2.5) and ozone concentrations.
