Executive Summary Introduction Air pollution is recognized today as a major health risk.Exposure to air pollution,both ambi- ent and household,increases a person's risk of contracting a disease such as lung cancer,stroke, heart disease,and chronic bronchitis.According to the latest available estimates,in 2013, 5.5 million premature deaths worldwide,or 1 in every 10 total deaths,were attributable to air pollution.Air pollution has posed a significant health risk since the early 1990s,the earliest period for which global estimates of exposure and health effects are available.In 1990,as in 2013,air pollution was the fourth leading fatal health risk worldwide,resulting in 4.8 million premature deaths. Air pollution is especially severe in some of the world's fastest-growing urban regions,where greater economic activity is contributing to higher levels of pollution and to greater exposure. But air pollution is also a problem outside cities.Billions of people around the world continue to depend on burning solid fuels such as wood,charcoal,coal,and dung in their homes for cooking and heating.Consequently,the health risk posed by air pollution is the greatest in developing countries.In 2013 about 93 percent of deaths and nonfatal illnesses attributed to air pollution worldwide occurred in these countries,where 90 percent of the population was exposed to dan- gerous levels of air pollution.Children under age 5 in lower-income countries are more than 60 times as likely to die from exposure to air pollution as children in high-income countries. Air pollution is not just a health risk but also a drag on development.By causing illness and premature death,air pollution reduces the quality of life.By causing a loss of productive labor, it also reduces incomes in these countries.Air pollution can have a lasting effect on productiv- ity in other ways as well-for example,by stunting plant growth and reducing the productivity of agriculture,and by making cities less attractive to talented workers,thereby reducing cities' competitiveness. Motivation for This Study This study sets out to calculate the economic costs of premature mortality from air pollution to strengthen the business case for governments to act ambitiously in reducing pollution.The costs of pollution to society are many,but a full accounting is beyond the scope of this report. Instead,it will focus on what many studies have shown to be the largest and most damaging cost of pollution:premature mortality. The number of deaths each year attributable to air pollution makes a compelling case for reducing pollution.Valuing the costs of premature deaths associated with pollution helps to further highlight the severity of the problem.Governments face a wide array of competing development challenges,and monetizing the costs of pollution can help them decide how to allocate scarce resources to better the lives of their citizens.Monetary values can also help The Cost of Air Pollution:Strengthening the Economic Case for Actionx The Cost of Air Pollution: Strengthening the Economic Case for Action Executive Summary Introduction Air pollution is recognized today as a major health risk. Exposure to air pollution, both ambi￾ent and household, increases a person’s risk of contracting a disease such as lung cancer, stroke, heart disease, and chronic bronchitis. According to the latest available estimates, in 2013, 5.5 million premature deaths worldwide, or 1 in every 10 total deaths, were attributable to air pollution. Air pollution has posed a significant health risk since the early 1990s, the earliest period for which global estimates of exposure and health effects are available. In 1990, as in 2013, air pollution was the fourth leading fatal health risk worldwide, resulting in 4.8 million premature deaths. Air pollution is especially severe in some of the world’s fastest-growing urban regions, where greater economic activity is contributing to higher levels of pollution and to greater exposure. But air pollution is also a problem outside cities. Billions of people around the world continue to depend on burning solid fuels such as wood, charcoal, coal, and dung in their homes for cooking and heating. Consequently, the health risk posed by air pollution is the greatest in developing countries. In 2013 about 93 percent of deaths and nonfatal illnesses attributed to air pollution worldwide occurred in these countries, where 90 percent of the population was exposed to dan￾gerous levels of air pollution. Children under age 5 in lower-income countries are more than 60 times as likely to die from exposure to air pollution as children in high-income countries. Air pollution is not just a health risk but also a drag on development. By causing illness and premature death, air pollution reduces the quality of life. By causing a loss of productive labor, it also reduces incomes in these countries. Air pollution can have a lasting effect on productiv￾ity in other ways as well—for example, by stunting plant growth and reducing the productivity of agriculture, and by making cities less attractive to talented workers, thereby reducing cities’ competitiveness. Motivation for This Study This study sets out to calculate the economic costs of premature mortality from air pollution to strengthen the business case for governments to act ambitiously in reducing pollution. The costs of pollution to society are many, but a full accounting is beyond the scope of this report. Instead, it will focus on what many studies have shown to be the largest and most damaging cost of pollution: premature mortality. The number of deaths each year attributable to air pollution makes a compelling case for reducing pollution. Valuing the costs of premature deaths associated with pollution helps to further highlight the severity of the problem. Governments face a wide array of competing development challenges, and monetizing the costs of pollution can help them decide how to allocate scarce resources to better the lives of their citizens. Monetary values can also help 1700234_Cost of Pollution.indd 10 9/7/16 10:45 AM