Poor air cuts life expectancy in India

As smog chokes New Delhi, a new study shows air pollution can cut life expectancy by up to seven years across a wide swathe of northern India, home to about 40 per cent of the population


Seven states and union territories form bulk of Indo-Gangetic Plain region. Population: 480 million

Lifespan outside of plain region cut short by 2.6 years


PM2.5 levels in micrograms per cubic metre* (as of Nov 5)

Hazardous (250.5 to 500)
Very unhealthy (150.5 to 250.4)
Unhealthy (55.5 to 150.4)
Unhealthy for sensitive groups (35.5 to 55.4)
Moderate (12.1 to 35.4)
Good (0 to 12)
No data

*WHO safe limit is 10 micrograms of particulate matter – smaller than 2.5 μg/m3

†PM2.5 level relative to WHO guideline


AFGHANISTAN
Punjab 
Haryana
Delhi
PAKISTAN
Chandigarh
Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
CHINA
MYANMAR
BANGLADESH
West Bengal
NEPAL
INDIA

200km 120 miles


AVERAGE LOSS IN LIFE EXPECTANCY DUE TO POLLUTION
India: Lifespan reduced by 4.3 years in 2016 compared to 2.2 in 1998, due to 70% increase of concentration of fine particulates†

1998 2016

1.1 1.8		2.2  4.3
World		India

0 1 2 3 4


Picture: Getty Images
Source: Air Quality Life Index by Energy Policy Institute at University of Chicago (EPIC)
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