(MENAFN) In 2023, over 180,000 early deaths in the European Union were linked to prolonged exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exceeding World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines, according to the latest health impact assessment from the European Environment Agency (EEA), released on Monday.

The report, titled ‘Harm to human health from air pollution in Europe: burden of disease status, 2025,’ highlights a persistent decline in pollution-related mortality over the past 19 years.

Data from the agency show that fatalities associated with PM2.5 have dropped by 57% since 2005, indicating that the EU has already achieved the Zero Pollution Action Plan goal of a 55% reduction by 2030—seven years ahead of schedule.

The assessment estimates that if air pollution had adhered to WHO guideline levels in 2023, roughly 182,000 deaths from PM2.5, 63,000 from ozone, and 34,000 from nitrogen dioxide could have been prevented across the EU.

Despite these improvements, the European Environment Agency cautions that 95% of residents in European cities are still exposed to pollution levels significantly above WHO recommendations, with the highest health burdens concentrated in eastern and south-eastern Europe.

Beyond premature mortality, air pollution aggravates chronic diseases such as asthma, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer.

The report also points to emerging evidence linking air pollution to dementia, suggesting that this health burden may now surpass that of several other pollution-related conditions.

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