Air Pollution Costs Global Economy Trillions Annually,World Bank Says
Millions die early from air pollution each year. Air pollution costs the global economy more than $5 trillion annually in welfare costs, with the most serious damage occurring in the developing world.
The figures include a number of costs associated with air pollution. Lost income alone amounts to $225 billion a year.
The report includes both indoor and outdoor air pollution. Indoor pollution, which includes sources like home heating and cooking, has remained constant over the past several decades despite advances in the area. Levels of outdoor pollution have grown rapidly along with rapid growth in industry and transportation.
Director of Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation Chris Murray described it as an "urgent call to action." "One of the risk factors for premature deaths is the air we breathe, over which individuals have little control," he said.
The effects of air pollution are worst in the developing world, where in some places lost-labor income equals nearly 1% of GDP. Around 9 in 10 people in low- and middle-income countries live in places where they regularly experience dangerous levels of outdoor air pollution.
But the problem is not limited exclusively to the developing world. Thousands die prematurely in the U.S. as a result of related illnesses. In many European countries, where diesel(柴油) vehicles have become more common in recent years, that number reaches tens of thousands.