India's Breathless Battle: Air Pollution Steals Years from Every Life, Warns AQLI Report

A recent, alarming report from the Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) 2025 has cast a somber shadow over India's public health landscape. The findings are stark: every single Indian is breathing air considered unhealthy by global standards, leading to a significant reduction in life expectancy. This pervasive environmental crisis means an average Indian stands to lose a staggering 5.3 years of their life due due to the air they breathe.

The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), which published the AQLI 2025 report, highlights the dire situation across the nation.

While the average loss is over five years, certain regions face an even more devastating impact. The northern plains, often dubbed the 'epicentre' of India's escalating pollution crisis and home to more than half the country's population, are particularly vulnerable. Residents of Delhi, for instance, are projected to lose an astonishing 12.1 years of life expectancy if the current pollution levels persist.

Other heavily impacted states include Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, both facing an average loss of 8.4 years, and Bihar, where residents could lose 7.9 years.

The root of this crisis lies in microscopic particulate matter, specifically PM2.5, which is present at levels far exceeding the World Health Organization's (WHO) guideline of 5 micrograms per cubic meter (µg/m³) across the entirety of India.

The report underscores that India's average PM2.5 concentration stood at 61.4 µg/m³ in 2022, a figure that dramatically shortens the lifespan of its citizens. The situation has only worsened over the past decade; since 2013, the average Indian has seen their life expectancy loss increase from 5 years to 5.3 years.

What's driving this relentless deterioration? The AQLI report points to several key factors.

A substantial increase in coal consumption—up by a staggering 59% in the last decade—coupled with rising vehicular emissions and industrial activity, are major contributors. India's burden on global air pollution is disproportionate and concerning. Between 2013 and 2021, India alone accounted for 59.1% of the world's increase in pollution, making South Asia the most polluted region globally, with Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Pakistan bearing the brunt of 54.3% of global life-year losses.

In response to this grave challenge, India launched the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP), aiming to reduce PM2.5 concentrations by 40% by 2026.

While a commendable step, the report critically assesses its ambition. If the NCAP targets are met, the average Indian could gain 0.7 years of life expectancy, with Delhi residents seeing a gain of 3.2 years. However, these gains, while welcome, fall short of the benefits achievable if India were to align its air quality standards with the more stringent WHO guidelines.

Achieving WHO standards would unlock a significantly larger gain of 5.3 years on average for Indians, and an impressive 12.1 years for Delhiites.

The AQLI 2025 report serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for more aggressive and comprehensive policies to combat air pollution. While the NCAP is a start, the data suggests that only a concerted, ambitious effort to meet or even surpass global air quality benchmarks can truly protect the health and extend the lives of India's vast population.