Fighting Pollution for a Longer Life (and It’s Working!)

The Chinese population is living on average 2.2 years longer thanks to significant progress in combatting pollution within the country.

“At the foundation of those actions were common elements: political will and resources, both human and financial, that reinforced each other. When the public and policymakers have these tools, action becomes much more likely,” says the annual Air Quality Life Index report produced by the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago.

Previously, Chinese cities were ranked among the world’s worst in terms of air quality and pollution. The Chinese government began implementing strategies in 2014 that would eventually raise the air quality in its cities. The number of cars on roads in major cities declined, bans were placed on new coal plants, and industrial activities such as the manufacturing of iron and steel were reduced, among others. Thanks to these efforts, in 2021, Beijing recorded its best monthly air quality since records began. Most significantly, perhaps, is the increase in the average Chinese citizen’s lifespan by two years and two months, the report shows.