Thomas Pellerin-Carlin· S&D

Overestimated

Air pollution: every hour, 30 Europeans die from it.

Omissions

• The claim does not specify which air pollutants are included (PM2.5, NO2, O3). The cited figures only cover PM2.5, which is the main but not the only harmful pollutant.
• The claim does not cite any source, making it impossible to verify the exact methodology or year referenced.
• The most recent available data (2023) shows significantly lower figures than the claim suggests.
• If all air pollutants are included (PM2.5, NO2, and O3), total deaths would be higher than PM2.5 alone, but still unlikely to reach 30/hour based on 2023 data.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Environment Agency - Harm to human health from air pollution 2025182,000 deaths in EU-27 attributable to PM2.5 exposure above WHO guideline level in 2023. This equals approximately 20.8 deaths per hour (182,000 ÷ 365 ÷ 24).
• PrimaryEuropean Environment Agency - Harm to human health from air pollution 2024239,000 deaths attributable to PM2.5 exposure above WHO guideline level in 2022. This equals approximately 27.3 deaths per hour (239,000 ÷ 365 ÷ 24).