Lancet Report: Over 1.7 Million Deaths in India Due to Air Pollution in 2022
According to the Lancet report, over 1.7 million people in India died prematurely in 2022 due to human-made PM2.5 air pollution, a 38% increase compared to 2010. The report, titled "2025 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change," highlights that 44% of these deaths were caused by the use of fossil fuels including coal, petrol, and gas.
Impact of Road Transport and Economic Loss
The report records that 269,000 deaths were linked to petrol use in road transport alone. Experts warn that this pollution is severely affecting both public health and the economy. In 2022, outdoor air pollution caused India an economic loss of $33.94 billion (approximately ₹28 lakh crore), around 9.5% of the country's GDP.
Report Contributors
The report was led by University College London and involved 128 experts from 71 academic institutions and UN agencies. Released ahead of the UN's 30th climate conference (COP30), it is considered the most comprehensive report to date highlighting the link between climate change and human health.
Fossil Fuel Dependence in India
By 2022, coal accounted for 46% of the country’s total energy supply and about three-quarters (75%) of total electricity production. Renewable energy contributed only 2-10%. Around 96% of energy for road transport comes from fossil fuels, while only 0.3% of electricity comes from fossil fuel alternatives.
Air Quality in Delhi
The report comes at a time when air quality in Delhi-NCR has remained in the “poor” to “very poor” category. Cloud seeding trials were recently conducted in parts of the capital to reduce pollution, but experts consider these short-term measures.
Forest Fires and Domestic Pollution
Between 2020 and 2024, an average of 10,200 deaths per year occurred due to PM2.5 pollution from forest fires, a 28% increase compared to 2003-2012. Domestic pollution remains critical, with 58% of domestic energy coming from highly polluting solid biofuels (wood, dung, coal) in 2022, while only 18% came from electricity. These fuels caused 113 deaths per 100,000 population, with rural areas experiencing higher mortality than urban areas.