PM2.5 pollution deaths: Human-caused PM2.5 pollution was responsible for more than 17.18 lakh deaths in India in 2022, up 38% since 2010, with fossil fuels driving nearly half of the toll, according to the 2025 Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change.
The analysis attributes about 7.52 lakh deaths (44%) to emissions from coal and liquid fuels. Petrol use in road transport alone was linked to an estimated 2.69 lakh deaths.
The report estimates the economic hit from outdoor air pollution at USD 339.4 billion in 2022, roughly 9.5% of India’s GDP. Produced by 128 experts across 71 academic institutions and UN agencies led by University College London, the ninth edition arrives ahead of COP30 and offers one of the most comprehensive snapshots yet of how climate and health intersect.
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The findings land as Delhi’s air quality swings between “poor” and “very poor.” Authorities have even trialled cloud seeding in parts of the capital; steps environmentalists call short-term fixes that don’t address the sources of toxic air.
Energy patterns remain a core problem. Fossil fuels still supplied 96% of road-transport energy in 2022; electricity powered just 0.3%. Coal accounted for 46% of India’s total energy supply and about three-quarters of electricity generation, while renewables contributed only 2% of total energy and 10% of electricity. The authors warn that over-reliance on fossil fuels and slow progress on adaptation continue to cost lives and livelihoods, noting India’s readiness for a low-carbon transition slipped 2% from 2023.
Other contributors are rising too. PM2.5 from forest fires was linked to an average of 10,200 deaths annually between 2020 and 2024, a 28% jump over 2003–2012 levels. Inside homes, 18% of energy use came from electricity, while 58% still relied on highly polluting solid biofuels. Household air pollution from these fuels was associated with about 113 deaths per one lakh population, with higher death rates in rural areas than in cities.
