Facts and figures

• Twice as high: The WHO sets the air quality limit value for particulate matter PM 2.5 at 5µg/m3. Under Swiss law, this is set at 10µg/m3. This is twice as high as recommended by the WHO.

• 70,0000 scientific studies prove the effects of air pollution on health.

• 9 million people die every year worldwide because of air pollution.

• 800,000 people die every year in Europe due to air pollution.

• 98% of Europeans breathe polluted air.

• 569,000 premature deaths due to ambient air pollution and 154,000 due to indoor air pollution in 2019 alone

• 400,000 Europeans die prematurely due to particulate matter in the air

• 60,0000 people die each year in the EU due to particulate matter from wood heating in private households.

• Air pollution causes several hundred billion euros in health-related external costs every year.

• Air pollution costs every European 1276 euros per year.

• 432,517,555 euros are paid annually by the city of Zurich in health costs due to air pollution.

• 182,369,253 euros are paid annually by the city of Basel in health costs due to air pollution.

• 160,822,740 euros are paid annually by the city of Bern in health costs due to air pollution. 

Study 2020

Air pollution in cities: Switzerland and worldwide