By Bunmi Yekini
More than 90% of the 7.9 million global deaths linked to air pollution in 2023 occurred in low- and middle-income countries, underscoring the widening gap between nations with clean air and those without, according to a new global report.
The State of Global Air (SOGA) 2025 report said South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa remain the world’s hardest-hit regions, driven by urban congestion, industrial emissions, household cooking smoke and weak environmental enforcement. “Air pollution is a public health burden without boundaries, but its impacts are not felt equally,” the report said.
South Asia Tops Global Pollution Rankings
South Asia recorded the world’s highest levels of fine particulate matter (PM₂.₅) for the fifth consecutive year, with Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Nepal again topping global rankings. The region accounted for nearly half of all air pollution deaths in 2023, with a mortality rate of 195 deaths per 100,000 people, more than ten times that of high-income countries.
Toxic air from vehicle emissions, brick kilns, industrial zones and seasonal crop burning routinely blankets cities such as Delhi and Dhaka, where annual PM₂.₅ concentrations far exceed World Health Organization (WHO) air quality limits.
Africa Emerging as Next Hotspot
Sub-Saharan Africa is fast becoming the next global pollution hotspot, the report said, with both outdoor and household air pollution on the rise.
The region recorded 137 deaths per 100,000 people in 2023, a figure that has steadily increased over the past decade. In Nigeria and other African nations, dependence on wood, charcoal and kerosene for cooking continues to drive household air pollution, particularly among women and children exposed to smoke in poorly ventilated homes.
Monitoring capacity remains limited in many African cities, leaving significant data gaps despite visible pollution from open burning, diesel generators and unpaved roads.
Cities Face Dual Threat
Rapid urban growth has turned cities across Asia, Africa and Latin America into air pollution “hotspots,” where industrial emissions, heavy traffic and informal settlements collide.
Fine particulate matter levels in cities such as Lagos, Nairobi, Jakarta and Delhi exceed WHO safety limits several times over, exposing residents to both outdoor and indoor pollution.
The report said low-income urban families face the highest cumulative exposure and health risks due to their proximity to pollution sources and limited access to clean fuels.
Household Air Pollution Persists
Globally, 2.6 billion people still rely on solid fuels such as wood, charcoal and animal dung for cooking, contributing to 2.8 million deaths in 2023.
While exposure has fallen in parts of Asia and Latin America, it has remained stagnant or worsened across sub-Saharan Africa, where population growth is outpacing access to clean energy. “Household air pollution continues to be a top ten risk factor for death globally,” the report said. –
Pollution and Poverty Interlinked
The report described a “vicious cycle” between poverty and pollution, where limited access to clean energy and technologies contributes to disease, lost productivity and slower economic growth. Economic losses from pollution-related illness and premature death are estimated to consume between 4.7% and 6.5% of global GDP, with the heaviest relative impact in low-income economies.
Signs of Progress
Despite regional disparities, the report cited progress in countries such as Uganda, Brazil and India, where governments have strengthened air quality standards and expanded clean cooking initiatives.
Pilot programmes in India, Ecuador and China show that access to affordable clean energy can significantly reduce exposure, the report said. It urged governments to sustain policy reforms, improve data collection and invest in local solutions to close the global clean-air gap.
Call for Clean Air Equity
The report concluded that clean air should be considered a universal right. “Air pollution contributes to the growing burden of noncommunicable diseases and widens health disparities,” it said. “Reducing exposure is both an environmental and social justice imperative.”
As countries move toward the WHO target of halving deaths from human-caused air pollution by 2040, the report warned that success will depend on whether progress reaches the world’s poorest communities.