AQLI 2025 Report Identifies Air Pollution as Greatest Threat to Life Expectancy in India
The Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2025 report states that all of India lives in areas where particulate pollution (PM2.5) exceeds WHO safety limits. While 46% of Indians live in areas breaching India's own more lenient standards, the northern plains remain the most affected, exposing 544.4 million people to bad air. The report identifies particulate pollution as the 'greatest external threat to human life expectancy' globally. In India, meeting WHO standards could add 8.2 years to the life expectancy of Delhi residents and nearly 9.4 months even in the cleanest areas.
Key Points
- All of India exceeds the WHO annual average PM2.5 limit of 5 g/m³.
- Particulate pollution is identified as the greatest external threat to human life expectancy in 2023.
- In Bangladesh, the most polluted country in the region, air quality improved could add 5.5 years to life expectancy.
- China has seen a 40.8% decrease in particulate concentration since 2014 due to strict policy measures.
Exam Facts
- WHO PM2.5 limit: 5 g/m³
- India's PM2.5 standard: 40 g/m³
- AQLI 2025 Report
- Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago
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