Air pollution is a greater threat than violence in parts of Latin America
In 2023, air pollution in Latin America spiked to its highest level since AQLI data records began in 1998. While the average resident would gain up to one year of life expectancy if their air quality met the WHO guideline, in the most polluted regions life expectancy could be extended by more than 4 years—comparable to some of the most polluted regions in South Asia.
The highest increases in particulate concentration can be seen in Bolivia, Honduras, and El Salvador, making these the most polluted countries in the region. Consequently, particulate pollution has emerged as the greatest external health threat in Latin America’s most polluted countries. The impact of particulate pollution on life expectancy in these countries is 4.2 times higher than child and maternal malnutrition, 2.7 times higher than self-harm and interpersonal violence, and 3.4 times higher than tobacco. Bolivia is the most polluted country in Latin America, and is now among the top 10 most polluted countries in the world for the first time in 14 years. Pollution in Bolivia is nine times more deadly than self-harm and violence.