1.1. Contact organisation
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
E2: Environmental statistics and accounts; sustainable development
1.3. Contact name
Confidential because of GDPR
1.4. Contact person function
Confidential because of GDPR
1.5. Contact mail address
ESTAT-SDG-MONITORING@ec.europa.eu
1.6. Contact email address
Confidential because of GDPR
1.7. Contact phone number
Confidential because of GDPR
1.8. Contact fax number
Confidential because of GDPR
2.1. Metadata last certified
3 April 2023
2.2. Metadata last posted
19 March 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
19 March 2025
The indicator is part of the EU Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) indicator set. It is used to monitor progress towards SDG 11 on making cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable and SDG 3 on good health and well-being. SDG 11 is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under 'A new era for European Defence and Security', 'Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model', 'Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature' and 'Protecting our democracy, upholding our values'. SDG 3 is embedded in the European Commission’s Priorities under 'Supporting people, strengthening our societies and our social model'.
SDG 11 aims to renew and plan cities and other human settlements so that they offer opportunities for all, with access to basic services, energy, housing, transportation, green public spaces and others, while improving resource use and reducing environmental impacts. SDG 3 aims to ensure health and well-being for all at all ages by improving reproductive, maternal and child health; ending the epidemics of major communicable diseases; reducing non-communicable and mental diseases. It also calls for reducing behavioural and environmental health-risk factors.
The EU addresses the problem of air pollution through its specific air quality and industrial emissions legislation such as the Clean Air Package and the directives adopted by the Council and the European Parliament in relation to ambient air quality, as well as through co-benefits resulting from implementation of certain climate policies.
The Action Plan Towards a Zero Pollution for Air, Water and Soil’ includes the target of reducing the health impacts due to air pollution by 55 % by 2030, compared with 2005.
The monitoring framework for the 8th Environment Action Programme uses the number of premature deaths as a headline indicator with the target to reduce the number of permature deaths due to PM2.5 by 55 % by 2030, compared with 2005.
4.1. Data description
This indicator estimates the number of premature deaths attributable to long-term exposure to concentrations of PM2.5 above 5µg/m3 (the World Health Organization's guideline level). PM2.5 are particulates whose diameter is less than 2.5 micrometres and which can be carried deep into the lungs where they can cause inflammation and exacerbate the condition of people suffering heart and lung diseases.
4.2. Unit of measure
i. total number of premature deaths
ii. number of premature deaths, per 100 000 people
4.3. Reference Period
Calendar year
4.4. Accuracy - overall
The number of premature deaths have been calculated according to methodology described in the WHO global air quality guidelines (2021) and in the 2022 EEA briefing on Health impacts on air pollution.
A relative risk of 0.08 has been used for PM2.5. This implies that the risk of dying prematurely increases by 8% per each increase in 10µg/m3 in the annual mean PM2.5 concentrations.
Furthermore, only the impact above annual concentrations of 5µg/m3 (the 2021 WHO AQ guideline level) is calculated. So, EEA estimates the mortality attributable to not reaching this recommended WHO AQ guideline level. This approach has been followed to calculate the mortality for all years.
The main uncertainty is associated with the concentration-response functions used in the calculation of the mortality.
4.5. Source data
4.5.1. Source data - Organisation
EEA/European Topic Centre on Health and Environment.
4.5.2. Source data - Comment
Data provider: European Environment Agency (EEA)
5.1. Frequency of dissemination
5.1.1. Frequency of dissemination - Grade
Every year5.1.2. Frequency of dissemination - Comment
The indicator is updated annually.
5.2. Timeliness
5.2.1. Timeliness - Grade
T+2 years5.2.2. Timeliness - Comment
New data points are disseminated within two years after the reference year.
6.1. Reference area
6.1.1. Reference Area - Grade
All EU MS6.1.2. Reference Area - Comment
Data are presented for all EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and
Kosovo(*).
(*) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
6.2. Comparability - geographical
6.2.1. Comparability - geographical - Grade
All EU MS6.2.2. Comparability - geographical - Comment
Data are comparable between EU Member States and the other presented countries.
6.3. Coverage - Time
6.3.1. Time Coverage - Grade
> 10 years6.3.2. Time Coverage - Comment
Presented time series (including EU aggregates) starts in 2005. Data for 2006 is missing because there are no interpolated PM2.5 maps for that year.
6.4. Comparability - over time
6.4.1. Comparability - over time - Grade
> 4 data points6.4.2. Comparability - over time - Comment
Length of comparable time series without methodological break is longer than 4 data points.
7.1. Dissemination format - Publications
Analysis of indicator is presented in Eurostat's annual monitoring report on Sustainable development in the EU (progress towards SDGs in the EU context).
7.2. Dissemination format - online database
see table sdg_11_52
7.3. Dissemination format - other
Copyrights: Eurostat Copyright/Licence Policy is applicable.
No further comments.
