90 Percent of the World's Population Breathes Polluted Air

The World Health Organization states that 9 out of 10 citizens living on Earth breathe polluted air. Indian cities rank at the top of the world's most polluted cities. The most polluted megacities are also located in Asia and North Africa. In its latest report on air pollution around the world, the World Health Organization says that seven million inhabitants of the Earth lose their lives each year solely due to breathing polluted air. Nearly 90 percent of deaths caused by breathing polluted air occur in low- or middle-income countries. India holds the record for the number of polluted cities in the world, with 14 out of the top 15 cities listed by the World Health Organization located in this ancient land. New Delhi, the capital of India, is at the top of the list of the world's polluted megacities. Mumbai, another megacity in India, ranks fourth, while the capitals of Egypt, Bangladesh, and Beijing rank second, third, and fifth, respectively. Other polluted megacities include Shanghai, Istanbul, Mexico City, São Paulo, and Buenos Aires. In a previous report by the World Health Organization from May 2016, Zabol in Iran was identified as the most polluted city in the world. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution levels in public environments have been high over the past six years, with no changes except in parts of Europe and the Americas. The highest air pollution levels have been recorded in regions of the Eastern Mediterranean and Southeast Asia, where pollution is at least five times higher than the World Health Organization's standards. Most statistics and reports on air pollution have been recorded and published by Europeans, while the least data has been collected from Africa. The data collected in the latest World Health Organization research from various countries does not belong to a specific time but encompasses a range of time. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution is responsible for 29 percent of lung cancers, 43 percent of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, and 25 percent of strokes—information that many citizens of the world may not be aware of. In 2012, nearly 12 percent of total deaths were attributed to air pollution.