Quantifying the Economic Burden of Air Pollution Through Premature Mortality: A Harm-Reduction Perspective for Advancing Planetary Health

Environmental change, accelerated by increasing global temperatures, has become a defining economic, ecological, and public health issue of the twenty-first century. This study presents an economic evaluation of early mortality associated with air pollution, a major factor underlying worldwide patterns of illness and premature mortality, through which climate change affects global population health. Using secondary global mortality estimates and an economic valuation framework, both tangible costs (e.g., economic output and income losses) and quality-of-life loss (e.g., welfare loss associated with premature mortality) are estimated. The paper contributes to planetary health scholarship by integrating established economic valuation approaches with harm-reduction and systems-based perspectives to reinterpret air pollution as an interconnected environmental, economic, and societal challenge rather than solely a public health issue. Air pollution is associated with reduced life expectancy and approximately 3 million premature deaths annually worldwide. The estimated annual tangible economic burden is approximately US$940.9 billion (range: US$550.5 billion–US$1.65 trillion), while intangible costs are estimated at US$37.8 trillion annually (range: US$13.3 trillion–US$48.8 trillion). The findings suggest that air pollution should be understood not merely as a health-related challenge but also as a broader planetary health challenge with implications for environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and long-term societal well-being. Targeted air quality interventions and pollution reduction strategies may therefore generate substantial public health and societal co-benefits worldwide.