New Delhi: Human-induced PM2.5 pollution led to more than 1.7 million deaths in India in 2022, marking a 38 percent increase since 2010. Fossil fuel usage accounted for 44 percent of these fatalities, as reported in a global study published by The Lancet journal. Specifically, petrol use in road transportation was responsible for 269,000 deaths, according to the ‘2025 Report of The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change.’ Furthermore, premature deaths from outdoor air pollution in India in 2022 resulted in an economic loss of USD 339.4 billion, which is approximately 9.5 percent of the country’s GDP.
The ninth edition of the report was compiled by an international team of 128 experts from 71 academic institutions and UN agencies, led by University College London. Released prior to the 30th UN Conference of the Parties (COP30), the report offers the most thorough evaluation thus far of the links between climate change and health. This information is particularly relevant as Delhi continues to experience persistently high air pollution levels, with air quality fluctuating between ‘poor’ and ‘very poor’ in recent days.