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The world will struggle to make headway against air pollution
US$18-25 trillion The economic costs of air-pollution-related deaths through 2060.
By 2050, 4.2 billion people will regularly inhale dangerous levels of one particularly problematic substance, PM 2.5.
The fine particulate matter in urban air pollution will cause 4 million premature deaths annually in 2050, a similar value to 2020.
Information taken from the UN Environment Programme Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7), launched in December 2025, which explores everything from the health of coral reefs to the status of the ozone layer