EEA says number of deaths due to air pollution continues to fall in the EU

Air quality in Europe continues to improve and fewer people are dying prematurely or becoming ill from air pollution. However, air pollution remains the biggest environmental threat to health in Europe and more ambitious measures are needed to meet World Health Organisation (WHO) health guidelines, according to an analysis by the European Environment Agency (EEA).

The EEA has published its comprehensive assessment “Air Quality in Europe 2022“, which presents the air quality situation in Europe, assesses the effects of air pollution on health and ecosystems and identifies sources of air emissions.

According to the EEA analysis, air pollution continues to pose significant health risks in Europe, causing chronic diseases and premature deaths. In 2020, 96% of the EU urban population was exposed to concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) above the WHO guideline level of 5 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m³) of air. Air pollution is also detrimental to biodiversity and damages agricultural crops and forests, causing significant economic losses.

EU Biodiversity strategy for 2030

At least 238 000 premature deaths due to fine particulate matter in the EU

Poor air quality, especially in urban areas, continues to affect the health of Europe’s population. According to the latest EEA estimates, at least 238 000 people died prematurely in the EU in 2020 due to exposure to PM2.5 pollution above the WHO guideline level of 5 µg/m³. Nitrogen dioxide pollution caused 49,000 premature deaths in the EU and ozone exposure caused 24,000 premature deaths.

In addition to premature deaths, air pollution causes health problems and significant costs to the health sector. For example, in 2019, exposure to PM2.5 led to an equivalent of 175 702 life years of disability due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in 30 European countries.

Note: As in previous years, the health effects of different air pollutants should not be counted together so that data do not overlap. This is the case for mortality and diseases caused by air pollution.

Between 2005 and 2020, the number of premature deaths due to exposure to PM2.5 decreased by 45% in the EU. If this trend continues, the EU is expected to meet the Zero Pollution Action Plan target of reducing premature deaths caused by air pollution by 55% by 2030.

However, additional efforts will be needed to meet the zero pollution vision for 2050 of reducing air pollution to levels that are no longer considered harmful to health.

Loss of biodiversity, damage to forests and crops.

Air pollution also damages terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In 2020, harmful levels of nitrogen deposition were observed in 75% of the total EU ecosystem area. This represents a 12 % reduction since 2005, while the EU’s zero pollution action plan target is to achieve a 25 % reduction by 2030.

According to EEA analysis, in 2020, 59 % of wooded areas and 6 % of agricultural land were exposed to harmful levels of ground-level ozone in Europe. In 2019, economic losses due to the effects of ground-level ozone on the wheat harvest amounted to around EUR 1.4 billion in 35 European countries, with the largest losses in Germany, France, Poland and Turkey.

More than half of fine particulate emissions come from energy use in buildings

According to the EEA analysis, the main source of fine particulate pollution in Europe is fuel combustion in the residential, commercial and institutional sector. These emissions are mainly related to the combustion of solid fuels for heating buildings. In 2020, the sector was responsible for 44% of PM10 emissions and 58% of PM2.5 emissions. Other important sources of these pollutants are industry, road transport and agriculture.

Agriculture was also responsible for the vast majority (94%) of ammonia emissions and more than half (56%) of methane emissions. For nitrogen oxides, the main sources were road transport (37%), agriculture (19%) and industry (15%).

Overall, emissions of all key air pollutants in the EU continued to decrease in 2020. This trend has continued since 2005 despite the considerable increase in EU gross domestic product (GDP) over the same period, according to the EEA analysis.

Regulatory context

The European Green Pact aims to improve air quality and to align EU air quality standards more closely with updated WHO air quality guidelines. The EU’s Zero Pollution Action Plan sets out a vision for 2050 of reducing air, water and soil pollution to levels that are no longer considered harmful to health and natural ecosystems.

In October 2022, the European Commission proposed the revision of the Ambient Air Quality Directive, which foresees stricter pollution thresholds, a stronger right to clean air (including possible provisions for citizens to claim compensation for health damage due to air pollution), strengthened standards for air quality monitoring and improved public information.

More information

European Environement Agency