Ranked: Air Pollution by Economy

Written By Jenna Ross

Graphics & Design

Sabrina Lam
Alejandra Dander

Published March 7, 2023
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Updated March 6, 2023
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The following content is sponsored by The Hinrich Foundation

Ranked: Air Pollution by Economy

Global air pollution declined by 31% during the initial COVID-19 lockdowns, demonstrating a link between economic activity and air quality.

This graphic from The Hinrich Foundation, the fourth in a five-part series on the sustainability of trade, explores how air pollution varies by economy. It pulls data from the 2022 Sustainable Trade Index, which The Hinrich Foundation produced in collaboration with the IMD World Competitiveness Center.

What is Air Pollution?

In this dataset, air pollution is measured using fine particulate matter known as PM2.5. These particles are less than 2.5 microns in diameter, which is about 28 times smaller than the diameter of human hair. They are made up of things like combustion particles, compounds, and metals.

Not only does their presence cause the air to become hazy, they also pose the greatest health risk compared with any other pollutant. When they are inhaled into the lungs, they can cause respiratory diseases and even death. In fact, air pollution is one of the world’s leading risk factors for death, and is linked to 12% of deaths globally.

A Geographic Breakdown of Pollution

Air pollution levels have a wide spectrum around the world. Countries with lower GDP per capita tend to have higher pollution because they have less stringent air quality regulations, congested transportation systems, and rapidly developing industrial sectors. They also prioritize basic necessities such as food and shelter. On the other hand, high income economies can afford cleanup technologies such as filters that trap airborne particles.

The following table shows how air pollution breaks down for select economies that are covered in the 2022 Sustainable Trade Index. Numbers indicate micrograms of PM2.5 particles per cubic meter, with higher numbers indicating more pollution.

Rank	Economy	PM2.5 per Cubic Meter	Income Level of Economy
1	New Zealand	6	High
2	Australia	7	High
3	Canada	7	High
4	United States	8	High
5	Brunei	8	High
6	United Kingdom	10	High
7	Russia	12	Medium
8	Japan	14	High
9	Papua New Guinea	16	Low
10	Taiwan	16	High
11	Malaysia	17	Medium
12	Philippines	19	Medium
13	Hong Kong	19	High
14	Singapore	19	High
15	Indonesia	20	Medium
16	Sri Lanka	20	Medium
17	Mexico	20	Medium
18	Vietnam	20	Medium
19	Ecuador	21	Medium
20	Laos	21	Low
21	Cambodia	22	Low
22	Chile	24	Medium
23	Thailand	27	Medium
24	South Korea	27	High
25	Myanmar	30	Low
26	Peru	31	Medium
27	China	48	Medium
28	Bangladesh	64	Low
29	Pakistan	64	Low
30	India	83	Low

India has the most polluted air of the economies in the Sustainable Trade Index. As a developing country with a large population, there are multiple contributing factors. For instance, agricultural burning, biomass combustion for cooking, and vehicle emissions all worsen the problem. The country is also the second-largest consumer of coal, and lacks tight emission standards on industries such as metal smelters and oil refineries.

The Philippines has low air pollution relative to its GDP per capita. This could be because 34% of its energy comes from renewable sources. Notably, the Philippines has the third-highest geothermal power capacity in the world. However, the country still faces considerable pollution issues, primarily due to vehicle emissions.

Want more insights into trade sustainability?

Download the 2022 Sustainable Trade Index for free.

New Zealand has the least polluted air of the economies in the index. Its good air quality is thanks in part to its low population density and island geography. The country is also impacted by large scale wind patterns which promote westerly winds and aid in pollutant dispersion. In order to further reduce pollutants, New Zealand is requiring vehicles to meet stricter emission standards.

Economic Activity and Air Pollution

Air pollution has severe consequences for the environment and human health. It is worsened by aggressive industrialization and some commercial activities. In fact, it’s estimated that industry accounts for 12% of PM2.5 particles globally. Industrial dust, energy production, and transportation are also significant contributors.

Of course, air pollution is just one variable that can help determine an economy’s trade sustainability. The Sustainable Trade Index uses a number of other metrics to measure economies’ ability to trade in a way that balances economic growth, societal development, and environmental protection. To learn more, visit the STI landing page where you can download the report for free.

The fifth piece in this series will introduce an upcoming report on the state of global carbon markets.

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Related Topics: #air quality #air pollution #sustainable trade #Hinrich Foundation #trade sustainability #pm2.5

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Ranked: Air Pollution by Economy