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Inequality

Last updated

July 26, 2025

Inequalities

Air pollution and inequalities research reveals how environmental pollutants disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, creating and exacerbating existing health disparities. Studies consistently show that low-income communities, ethnic minorities, and other marginalised populations face higher pollution exposure whilst having fewer resources to protect themselves or access healthcare. These environmental justice issues demonstrate how air pollution becomes a social determinant of health that perpetuates inequality. Discover the evidence documenting pollution-related health disparities and what policies can address these environmental justice concerns.

Young, low-income individuals are the groups exposed to the highest levels of emissions
- Most use active travel modes and are walking/cycling in urban areas with high pollutant levels (Ismaili, 2023)
Absence of gender-based exposure disparities, but found differences across household income, age, and car availability (Ismaili, 2023)
“Air pollution risk is a negative effect stemming from cyclists’ exposure to local PM2.5 concentrations. Opting for cycling as a mode of transportation can increase pollution-related mortality risk among cyclists. The extent of this increased risk is determined by factors including the local PM2.5 levels, cycling duration, the ventilation rate of the cyclist, and various adjustment parameters” (Guo et al., 2025)
Economically wealthier people cause more air pollution through their vehicle usage, yet this pollution is disproportionately inhaled by economically poor people and racially minoritised groups (Tessum et al., 2019; Wadud et al., 2022)
99% of people are exposed, but those with the most over-exposure/health vulnerabilities are low-income and indigenous communities and children and older adults (McKelvey, 2025)
- Low-income families more likely to move near highways and factories
- Quality of air varies dramatically by zip code
Males experienced slightly lower decline in mortality rates related to CVD, IS, and IHD compared to females (Zhao et al., 2025)
- Mortality generally higher for males, but this trend changes in the population aged 95+ (Zhao et al., 2025)
The Health Foundation has found that men living in the most polluted areas of the UK die 3.5 years younger on average than men in the least polluted areas (Healthy Air Coalition, 2025)
Cold homes more likely to develop mould problems, adding to air pollution issues (Healthy Air Coalition, 2025)
Air pollution has uniquely damaging effects on women’s health, increasing the risk of breast cancer, asthma, heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Women are also more vulnerable to the effects of tropospheric ozone, leading to higher mortality from stroke (Taylor, 2025)
Women of color face higher exposure to air pollution and are disproportionately affected by maternal health inequalities compared to white women (Taylor, 2025)
Women, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are more likely to be exposed to higher levels of air pollution due to traditional gender roles, such as cooking or heating with wood or coal. (Taylor, 2025)
Studies in Uganda and Ethiopia found a five-fold difference in personal household pollution exposure between men and women (Taylor, 2025)
Over 9 million premature deaths are attributable to environmental pollution, 92% of which occur in lower and middle income countries (Ravindra et al., 2024)
Minorities and low-socioeconomic areas are more exposed to PM2.5 (Rani & Dhok, 2023)
Due to South Korea’s industrialization pattern, areas with higher socioeconomic levels demonstrated higher NO2 concentrations (POSTECH, 2025)
In the UK, non-white children were exposed to 51% higher nitrogen dioxide levels than their white counterparts during their early years (UCL, 2025)

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Inequalities

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