More than 32,500 people in Ghana died from air pollution-related illnesses in 2023, according to the latest State of Global Air 2025 report.
The alarming data highlights the growing threat of air pollution to public health and underscores the urgent need for stronger environmental protection measures across the country.
Earlier estimates by the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) placed annual deaths at around 28,000, but the new figures from the Health Effects Institute (HEI) and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) suggest a significant undercount.
The updated data represents a 1.9% increase over 2022, when 31,900 deaths were attributed to air pollution in Ghana.
Ghana’s air pollution burden remains high
Although Ghana’s total number of air pollution deaths is far lower than that of countries like China (2.05 million) and India (2.01 million), experts say the death rate per capita remains disproportionately high for a country of Ghana’s size.
Children and the elderly are the most affected. In 2023, 4,541 deaths occurred among children under 10 years old, mostly from household air pollution linked to cooking with solid fuels such as charcoal and wood.
Among people aged 50 to 85, 12,790 deaths were recorded.
Air pollution deaths rising over the decades
Since the year 2000, air pollution-related deaths in Ghana have surged by nearly 38%, an increase of about 8,900 deaths.
From 2014 to 2019, the country experienced a steady rise, followed by a short-lived improvement when deaths dropped to 30,600 in 2020 and 30,300 in 2021.
However, the trend reversed in 2022, when deaths climbed again to 31,900, and in 2023, the number rose further to 32,500, representing a worrying uptick in pollution-related mortality.
Air pollution is now Ghana’s leading cause of death
Recent research indicates that air pollution is now the leading cause of death in Ghana, surpassing fatalities from HIV/AIDS, malaria, and road accidents combined.
Health experts warn that without urgent action to curb emissions, the toll on public health and the economy will continue to grow.
In response, the government passed the Environmental Protection (Air Quality Management) Regulations, 2025 (L.I. 2507) in June.
The new law empowers the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA Ghana) to regulate and enforce emission standards across multiple sectors — including transport, industry, agriculture, construction, and waste management.
The regulation also mandates the creation of a national air quality management framework, an air quality information system, and localised district-level pollution control plans to improve enforcement nationwide.
Global perspective
The State of Global Air 2025 report, developed by HEI, IHME, and the NCD Alliance, identifies air pollution as the second leading cause of premature death worldwide, following high blood pressure.
Globally, 7.9 million people died from air pollution in 2023, accounting for one in every eight deaths. Of these, 4.9 million were caused by fine particulate matter (PM2.5) — a major pollutant found in vehicle emissions, industrial smoke, and household fires.
Another 2.8 million deaths were linked to household air pollution, while 470,000 deaths resulted from ozone exposure, mostly associated with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
The report also found that 90% of global air pollution deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries like Ghana, where many households still rely on solid fuels for cooking.
Across sub-Saharan Africa, countries in the Eastern, Central, Southern, and West African regions record an average of 137 deaths per 100,000 people due to air pollution.
Way forward
Experts urge Ghana to prioritise clean energy adoption, public education on air quality, and enforcement of emission controls to protect citizens’ health.
Transitioning to cleaner fuels, expanding urban greenery, and strengthening data monitoring systems are also seen as key steps toward reducing the growing health burden of air pollution.
With more than 32,000 lives lost each year, the report serves as a stark reminder that achieving clean air in Ghana is not just an environmental goal — it’s a public health imperative.
