Delhi’s air pollution crisis slashes life expectancy by 8.2 years, warns University of Chicago report

Delhi’s toxic air is robbing residents of 8.2 years of life expectancy, according to the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report by the University of Chicago. 

The report, which ranks India as the second-most polluted country globally, reveals that meeting the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) particulate matter (PM2.5) guideline of 5µg/m³ could add 8.2 years to the average Delhiite’s life, the highest potential gain worldwide.

The AQLI, developed by Michael Greenstone and his team at the Energy Policy Institute, converts particulate pollution levels into their impact on life expectancy. Particulate air pollution (PM2.5) shortens the average life expectancy by 3.5 years in India, relative to what it would be if the WHO guideline of 5µg/m³ were met, the report stated.

 In 2023, India’s average PM2.5 concentration was 41µg/m³, over eight times the WHO standard and slightly above the national limit of 40µg/m³.

Delhi’s pollution levels surged by 56.9% from 1998 to 2023, making it the epicenter of India’s air quality crisis. 

The northern plains, home to 544 million people, face a five-year average loss in life expectancy if pollution persists. All of India’s 1.4 billion people live in areas where the annual average particulate pollution level exceeds the WHO guideline, the report noted.