ANKARA, Dec 3 (AA/APP): More than 180,000 premature deaths in the EU in 2023 were attributable to long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) above World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, the European Environment Agency (EEA) said in its latest health impact assessment published on Monday.
The briefing, ‘Harm to human health from air pollution in Europe: burden of disease status, 2025’, confirms a continued downward trend over the past 19 years.
According to the agency, deaths linked to PM2.5 have fallen 57% since 2005, meaning the EU has already surpassed its Zero Pollution Action Plan target of a 55% reduction by 2030 — seven years ahead of schedule.
The report estimates that if air pollution levels had met WHO guideline values in 2023, approximately 182,000 deaths from PM2.5, 63,000 from ozone and 34,000 from nitrogen dioxide could have been avoided across the EU.
Despite the progress, the European Environment Agency warns that 95% of people living in European cities remain exposed to pollution levels well above WHO recommendations, with eastern and south-eastern Europe bearing the heaviest health burden.
In addition to premature mortality, air pollution contributes to and exacerbates chronic illnesses, including asthma, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.
Emerging evidence also links air pollution to dementia — a disease burden that may now exceed several other pollution-related conditions, the report notes.
The findings were released to coincide with the EU Clean Air Forum being held in Bonn, Germany, on Dec. 1-2.
The revised EU Ambient Air Quality Directive, which entered into force in 2024, brings EU standards closer to WHO guidelines and is expected to drive further improvements in the coming years.
The European Environment Agency analysis covers 41 European countries, including the 27 EU member states and other EEA members. The agency has tracked air pollution-related deaths since 2014, using the stricter 2021 WHO guidelines. As in previous reports, mortality figures for different pollutants are not combined to avoid double-counting.
