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Global air quality inequality over 2000-2020

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  • Lutz Sager

Abstract

Air pollution generates substantial health damages and economic costs worldwide. Pollution exposure varies greatly, both between countries and within them. However, the degree of air quality inequality and its' trajectory over time have not been quantified at a global level. Here I use economic inequality indices to measure global inequality in exposure to ambient fine particles with 2.5 microns or less in diameter (PM2.5). I find high and rising levels of global air quality inequality. The global PM2.5 Gini Index increased from 0.32 in 2000 to 0.36 in 2020, exceeding levels of income inequality in many countries. Air quality inequality is mostly driven by differences between countries and less so by variation within them, as decomposition analysis shows. A large share of people facing the highest levels of PM2.5 exposure are concentrated in only a few countries. The findings suggest that research and policy efforts that focus only on differences within countries are overlooking an important global dimension of environmental justice.

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  • Lutz Sager, 2023. "Global air quality inequality over 2000-2020," Papers 2307.15669, arXiv.org.
    • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2307.15669
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    1. Lutz Sager, 2025. "Estimating the Effect of China’s 2013 Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan," CESifo Working Paper Series 11826, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D63 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Equity, Justice, Inequality, and Other Normative Criteria and Measurement
    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • Q53 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Air Pollution; Water Pollution; Noise; Hazardous Waste; Solid Waste; Recycling

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