As an exercise enthusiast, I think about breathing more than most people. So air quality is something I notice. And the global picture is honestly rough.
The WHO says about 99% of people on Earth breathe air that’s dirtier than the safe guideline limit. Ninety-nine percent. Air pollution is tied to roughly 7 million deaths a year, and the recent State of Global Air 2025 report put the number near 7.9 million in 2023, which makes it one of the leading environmental risk factors for death on the planet. It feeds heart disease, stroke, and asthma.
What makes air pollution sneaky is that it’s invisible. You can’t see most of it, so it’s easy to forget it’s there. But when air quality is bad, training outside actually irritates your lungs, and runners definitely feel it.
It’s also a fairness issue. The people breathing the worst air are usually the ones with the least power to change it. Cleaner air isn’t just an environment thing, it’s a health thing, and it affects everyone who breathes, which is, you know, all of us.
Bottom line: Clean air is health care, even though no doctor is involved.
Read more: Air pollution — World Health Organization
The Global Pulse 